


Covet & Commit

by kennac



Series: The Ampersand Series [6]
Category: Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon, Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: F/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-04-21
Packaged: 2017-12-03 12:51:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 78,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/698434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kennac/pseuds/kennac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Shadows & Swindlers. Three more days until the wedding and the brides and grooms are intent on not getting involved in any mysteries. Unfortunately when harmless pranks become malicious, they may not have any choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Licenses & Lingering

“It’s not here,” Nancy Drew said as she began putting the clothes back into the bottom drawer of the dresser.

 “Damn it! It’s not here either.”

 Frank Hardy, Nancy’s fiancé, had just finished tearing everything out of the headboard of the bed. He moved to the center of the guest bedroom of his parents’ home looking puzzled and irritated. His mocha brown eyes scanned the room.

 Despite his obvious upset, Nancy found her thoughts wandering. Frank’s dark hair was still damp from the quick shower they had shared after his father, Fenton, had come up to knock on Frank’s bedroom door this morning, announcing that Pastor Eckles had arrived. Nancy stifled a giggle at the memory of the morning’s antics. It would be a long while before they lived down the last couple of days.

 “I’m sure I put it in the dresser drawer. You didn’t find it?” Frank asked.

 Nancy moved to his side and took his hand. “You looked and I looked and I don’t think we both would have missed it, honey. I even took all the clothes out of each drawer. It isn’t in the dresser. It has to be somewhere else.”

 “Maybe one of the side tables?”

 Each went to a side table and looked but the search didn’t take long. They both came up empty-handed.

 Nancy snapped her fingers. “Your pocket! Maybe you left it there and only thought you put it away.”

 “I already checked,” Frank said. “You didn’t happen to put it in Dad’s lockbox, did you?”

 “No.”

 “Shit.”

 Frank ran his hands back through his hair and laced his fingers together at the back of his head. The well-defined muscles on his shoulders and chest were evident even through the white t-shirt he was wearing as he stretched back in an attempt to relieve some tension.

 Again, Nancy moved to his side, rubbing his broad shoulders gently. “Relax, honey. It isn’t the end of the world. I’m sure we can get a replacement somehow.”

 The pastor had arrived to plan the double wedding ceremony they would be sharing with Frank’s brother and his fiancée in just three days. His first request had been for the marriage licenses so he could file the necessary legal paperwork with the New York Department of Health after the ceremony. Unfortunately, Frank and Nancy’s marriage license was now missing in action.

 She felt some of the tension leave Frank’s shoulders as he gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “Yeah, we’ll go down to the clerk’s office, drop another forty bucks and then find the original. Isn’t that the way it works?”

 He turned and Nancy wrapped her arms around his narrow waist as he pulled her tight against his chest. They stood that way for several seconds. Frank sighed and let her go.

 “I suppose we should go down and let Pastor Eckles know the problem,” Frank said in resignation. “I’m starting to think I’m losing my mind. It’s a good thing you’re in charge of the wedding bands, sweetheart. You put them in Dad’s lockbox, right?”

 Nancy nodded. “Safe and sound in your dad’s office.”

 But as Frank took her hand and led the way out of the bedroom, she made a mental note to check with Fenton and make sure. She figured it couldn’t hurt to be absolutely certain that the rings hadn’t mysteriously disappeared like their marriage license. She shook herself. She was letting her over-active mystery radar take over. She chided herself silently in her head, _no mysteries allowed this week!_

 They joined the others in the backyard at the gazebo, where the ceremony would take place. Frank’s brother, Joe, was sitting in the swing with his fiancée, Vanessa Bender.

 With his wavy, golden hair, mischievous blue eyes, and blocky, line-backer build, Joe was about as different from Nancy’s tall, lean and darkly handsome fiancé as he could get. The brothers were often teased that they didn’t look like they were related at all.

 Joe’s fiancée was a tall, willowy ash blonde with blue-gray eyes and fine, porcelain features. Vanessa was beautiful and her delicate build was the perfect balance to Joe’s bulky good looks.

 Vanessa stood with Joe and they descended the steps to join the group standing just outside the gazebo.

 “Did you find it?” Van asked.

 Frank shook his head. “We tore the room apart, but no luck. I can’t figure out what the heck could have happened to it.”

 “You’ll just have to go get a certified copy,” Laura Hardy said. “Pastor Eckles said you could give it to him at the rehearsal, right, Pastor?”

 Frank and Joe’s mother was a pretty, petite blonde with periwinkle blue eyes. It was easy to see where Joe got his coloring and with Fenton Hardy standing next to his wife, it was obvious where the younger Hardy boy got his build as well. Like his brother, Frank was an interesting and unique blend of his parents’ attributes, equally as handsome but in an entirely different way. Seeing the family together it became evident they were all related.

 “I don’t suppose Andrea and I could go to the clerk’s office and pick up the copy?” Nancy’s father, Carson Drew, asked.

 Nancy smiled gratefully at her father and Vanessa’s mother, Andrea, who stood next to him nodding hopefully. Tall and distinguished, with dark hair just beginning to gray at the temples and blue eyes that were vivid in a darkly-tanned face, her father looked more relaxed and content than Nancy ever remembered him being. She knew there were many reasons why, but she was convinced that the beautiful, older version of Vanessa that currently had her arm tucked through his was a big part of Carson Drew’s obvious happiness.

 “I’m afraid they are rather particular about the couple collecting the marriage license personally,” Pastor Eckles said with a smile and turned to Frank and Nancy. “If you get it sometime before Friday that should be fine.”

 “We’ll do it today, sir,” Frank said.

 “Hang on,” Joe said. “You and Nan promised you’d help us at the house today. I’m gonna need you, bro.”

 Van took Joe’s arm and must have pinched him because he gave a surprised yelp.

 “Hey, what was that for?” Joe asked, glaring at his fiancée.

 With a stern glance, Van said, “I’m sure there will be plenty of time for the furniture moving after Frank and Nan get back from the clerk’s office, hon. We’ll make a trip or two with the smaller items for the kitchen in the meantime.”

 “Thanks, Van,” Frank said. “We’ll get back as soon as we can to help out.”

 The pastor gave a satisfied nod. “With that settled let’s get to the real purpose of my visit this morning. I must say, this is a lovely setting for a wedding ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Hardy. I have some splendid ideas for the ceremony logistics, but of course it all depends on what our two couples want...”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “Joe, I need your help.”

 His fiancée stood in front of him and as he often did, Joe Hardy wondered why she put up with him. Any time now, he expected her to come to her senses and tell him to take a hike.  Especially when she was glaring at him, as she was right now. But in all fairness, he had been helping her most of the day.

 “Come on, babe. I spent all morning lugging boxes into the kitchen for your dinner party tonight. And then, for the last several hours, I have about broken my back with Frank to lug in all this heavy furniture. I’m bushed. Can’t I just sit for a little bit?”

 Van’s glare turned into a cute little pout that made Joe want to stand up and kiss her even though he was exhausted.

 “Please, Joe? I just need you to help me with the extension table. After that I promise to let you rest. Nan was a huge help in the kitchen this afternoon, but we forgot to get the leaves in the table and I can’t do that by myself.”

 With a sigh, Joe hauled himself to his feet. It was worth the effort when Van’s face broke out into a breathtaking smile. Even more so when she put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to give him a warm kiss.

 “Thank you, hon!”

 Less than an hour later Joe finished setting the table and walked into the kitchen where Vanessa was taking the lasagna out of the oven. She set the bubbling pan of pasta, cheese and meat sauce on the stove. As soon as it was out of her oven-mitted hands Joe wrapped his arms around her.

 “Are we done yet, babe?”

 “I just need to throw the garlic bread into the oven and dress the salad, but I won’t do either until everyone arrives.”

 “I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ Which is good because I really need a shower. Care to join me?” Joe wagged his eyebrows at her.

 Van threw the oven mitts onto the counter and turned around to fix him with a stern gaze. “Our guests will be coming in just under half an hour.”

 Joe shrugged. “So?”

 Van took his hand and led him out of the kitchen and toward the bathroom. The coy little smile on her face was a promise that made Joe’s heart rate skyrocket.

 “So... we’ll have to make it quick.”

 How did he get so lucky?

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank turned off the shower and opened the curtain to find Nancy standing at the vanity. She was wearing different clothes than when he’d gotten into the shower ten minutes earlier, having traded the casual shorts and shirt outfit for a blue sundress. The dress hugged her figure nicely and the color made her blue eyes pop. He smiled appreciatively.

 She was squinting into an almost-clear streak swiped through the fog on the mirror and fussing with her reddish-blonde hair. He chuckled as he toweled off.

 “Your hair looks fine, sweetheart. Quit messing with it.”

 Nancy caught his eye in the mirror and then turned to face him. Her blatantly appraising gaze catapulted his thoughts into dangerous territory. He wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the tub, which put him close enough to reach out and encircle her in his arms.

 Pulling away, Nancy shook her head as she turned back toward the mirror.

 “No. If you start that we’re going to be late to dinner.”

 “Actually, I think you started it, looking at me like that,” he teased, moving behind her and nuzzling her neck.

 He liked her new hair style – the short hair on the left side of her head provided easy access to the nape of her neck, while the hair on the right side still fell in silky soft waves to her shoulder. He knew she didn’t care for the funky style she’d been forced into after losing half her hair to fire a few weeks ago, but it really was attractive on her.

 “Frank Hardy, behave yourself. After all the teasing you’ve taken from your bother and father over the last day about our active sex life, I would think you’d cool it.”

 “Mmm, hard to cool it when you’re around, sweetheart,” he murmured against her neck. Her squirming and soft, intermittent giggles only served to encourage him. She put up with his attention for a couple more minutes before protesting again.

 “Frank, please,” Nancy’s voice was breathless. “I really don’t want to be late, especially tonight.”

 With a sigh, he let her go. “We’d only be a little late. Joe and Van won’t care.”

 “But it would be rude – not only to Joe and Van but also to Callie and Sam,” Nancy said as she attempted to gather her hair on top of her head.

 Frank opened the bathroom door and moved out into the bedroom to dress.

 “Is that why you’re so nervous? Because Callie and Sam are going to be at dinner tonight?” he asked as he put on underwear.

  “Yes. I’ve only met Callie once and I haven’t met Sam at all. I want to make a good impression.” Nancy appeared in the bathroom door, her attempt to put up her hair apparently abandoned.

 Frank pulled on his khaki shorts as he responded, “Cal and Sam are friends, Nan, not potential employers or something. You need to relax.”

 Nancy walked to the bed and sat down, fingering her abandoned outfit from earlier. “I know. I guess I’m just trying too hard. I... I feel kind of awkward around Callie – around all of your friends, really, but especially Callie. I mean, she told me she broke it off with you because of me. I feel guilty and I’m just not sure how to act.”

 He sighed. The reception Nancy had been getting from his group of high school friends had been less than friendly but he figured it would pass. He hadn’t realized just how much it was bothering Nancy.

 Grabbing his shirt off the dresser, he walked over and tossed it on the bed. He put his hands on her shoulders, leaning down so he could look into her eyes. She had the most beautiful eyes. He took a deep breath and mentally refocused on their discussion – no small task given how good she smelled.

 “Callie and I haven’t dated in over two years, sweetheart,” he said. “It’s practically ancient history. Besides, she’s happily married to Sam. More importantly, soon we will be happily married to each other. As for my other friends… they’ll come around. I know they will. You need to relax and just be yourself. I mean, I’m crazy about you so I can’t imagine they won’t at least... _like_ you.”

 She looked up at him and he lost his focus as she whispered, “I love you so much.”

 The soft smile that curved her full mouth was an invitation he couldn’t resist. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers, intending just a brief, comforting kiss. Unfortunately, as often happened when he was close to her, he lost track of what he had planned.

 Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders as she returned the kiss.  He fell into it, literally and figuratively, pushing her back onto the bed and following her down. His hand slid up her thigh, pushing her dress out of the way as he went.

 “Frank, we need to go,” Nancy murmured, even as one hand trailed down his chest to allow her fingers to trace the waistline of his shorts.

 Tugging at her panties, Frank smiled at the surrender he recognized in her face.

 “Yes, we do. So stop fighting it and let’s make love. Then we can get on with our evening.”

 Her responding smile was self-deprecating. “You know I can’t say ‘no’ this time of month.”

 Dipping his head, he stopped with his lips just centimeters away from hers, their breath mingling as their noses brushed.

 He whispered, “I was counting on it.”

nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Nancy undid the button under her fingers.

 “Me, too,” she breathed and then pressed her lips to his as she unzipped his shorts.

 Her decision made, she opened her mouth, tongue probing in a demanding kiss. Pushing his shorts and underwear out of the way impatiently, she was dimly aware that he was also undressing her.

 Their lips were forced apart as Frank pulled her dress over her head, tossing it to the floor as he resumed his assault on her mouth. Her bra and panties were hastily discarded as well, as they moved further up on the bed, Nancy scooting on her back as Frank crawled with her, their lips remaining locked.

 She lay back on the pillows at the head of the bed and parted her legs, allowing Frank to immediately sink into her.

 The sigh that escaped her lips was a reflection of the profound satisfaction she always experienced at this moment when she and Frank would first become intimately connected. She needed him almost as much as she needed the air she breathed.

 This realization, which always accompanied their coupling, was almost frightening as she became acutely aware that her individuality was forever compromised by her union with him. But she knew she had no choice in the matter anymore. The wedding vows scheduled for Saturday would simply be a public announcement of the bond that already existed between them. She had never realized just how incomplete she was until she had succumbed to her feelings for Frank.

 The satisfaction of the initial union was quickly overshadowed by the inexorable need for release. It was almost as if they could only stand the ecstasy of being one for a brief time as the pressure began building where their bodies joined.

 Nancy could feel her core tightening around him, her hips undulating under him as the need for orgasm began to consume her. Frank laced his fingers into hers, raising their joined hands above their heads as he began rhythmically rocking inside of her.

 Frank’s mouth came down on hers in a bruising kiss as they moved together toward the edge of reason. Nancy closed her eyes and lost herself in the feel of their unified body approaching the brink, the anticipation exquisite and all-consuming.

 And then they were there. That split second where they both peered over the precipice as one. Frozen, if only for a moment, in their wholeness.

 But it was fleeting. All too soon the orgasm crashed in and they were both moaning with the intensity of the pleasure . . . even as they grieved for the unity lost in the release.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank slipped his hands out of hers and leveraged his upper body off of her while trying desperately to remain coupled. In the heat of the moment it didn’t occur to him, but once the orgasm waned he worried that he was crushing her under his weight.

 The contented smile that greeted him when he looked down into her beautiful face simply confirmed what he already knew – they were meant to be together. Her hand stroked his cheek and her smile turned rueful.

 “I suppose we should get going,” she said.

 Frank sighed in agreement and reached over to snag some tissues to hand to her before getting up.

 “We could call Joe and Vanessa and beg off,” he said hopefully as she stood up from the bed.

 He allowed himself to fantasize about what they would do with a free evening as he watched her pad naked to the bathroom. He knew Nancy’s father and Vanessa’s mother were taking his parents out to dinner tonight. Aunt Gertrude had left early this afternoon and wasn’t due back until Friday to help with the final preparations. That meant that they would have the whole house to themselves. It sounded like a slice of heaven to him.

 Before he knew it, Nancy was emerging from the bathroom. She walked over to pick up her blue cotton sundress from the floor, grimacing at the wrinkled mess, which she tossed on the bed.

 Moving behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck.

 “Just think, sweetheart, an entire evening in the house by ourselves. We could really make the most of your ovulation.”

 Nancy ducked out of his embrace, snagging her panties from the floor and pulling them on.

 “While that does sound tempting, honey, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 Frank glanced at the clock. They still had about fifteen minutes before they had to be at dinner.

 “Well, then, how about indulging me in one more quickie?”

 “Hmm, we did manage that last session in record time. We might even be on time to dinner.”

 Frank moved to close the distance between them but was stopped by Nancy’s hand in the middle of his chest.

 “We don’t have time. Get dressed, Hardy.”

 Turning to pick up his underwear and shorts off the floor, he grumbled, “You’re no fun.”

 He was surprised when he felt her arms circle his waist, her still mostly-naked body pressing against his back.

 “Tonight is our last night together until after the wedding. I promise to be lots of fun . . . after dinner.”

 Her hands wandered to the base of his already stiffening penis and stroked it to a full, throbbing erection before sliding back up to embrace his shoulders, her lips pressing to the back of his neck. Her quickening breath raised gooseflesh across his back. He knew without a doubt that she was dripping wet for him.

 He groaned as she pulled away, leaving his back exposed and cold.

 “You’re still going to make me get dressed, aren’t you?” he asked.

 “We really have to go, Frank,” she said, holding up the sundress, again, as she surveyed the many wrinkles critically.

 “Forget the dress and wear the shorts,” he said as he pulled on his own shorts. “I won’t be quite as tempted to rip those off of you in a private corner of Joe and Van’s new house.”

 He caught the shiver that his comment had elicited and smiled wickedly at her. “Then again, the dress does allow easier access.”

 A blue cotton wad of sundress hit him square in the face.

 “Behave yourself, Hardy.”

 Frank flashed her a roguish grin as he pulled his shirt over his head.

 “That’s highly unlikely, sweetheart.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “Joe, would you please go get the door?” Vanessa asked as she put the garlic bread in the oven.

 “Sure, babe.”

 Joe whistled as he walked out of the kitchen and Vanessa chuckled to herself. For someone who was exhausted from moving furniture, he’d certainly had a lot of energy half an hour ago.

 Vanessa retrieved the tossed salad from the refrigerator and set it on the counter, glancing around the cozy kitchen to make sure everything was tidy before going out to greet their guests.

 The kitchen door opened into the dining room, which was continuous to the living room through an open archway. She caught sight of her best friend, Callie Shaw-Kempfer, who had just come in the front door and was giving Joe a quick peck on the cheek.

 Joe and Callie seemed to get along much better these days than they had in the past. Of course, it likely had a lot to do with the fact that Callie and Joe’s brother were no longer a couple. Vanessa didn’t care why, it was just a huge relief that the animosity had dissipated.

 “Callie, it’s so good to see you!” Van met her friend part way across the living room and embraced her as she noted the pretty green halter-top dress she was wearing. “You didn’t need to dress up for us, but you look beautiful. Is that new? You’re going to have to take me shopping, girl!”

 Callie’s smile seemed tight and she waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, this old thing. I just threw it on.”

 Callie’s husband, Sam, chuckled. “It’s brand new, don’t let her fool you.”

 Vanessa noted with interest the deep blush that crept up Callie’s cheeks. She patted her friend’s arm. “Well, it’s beautiful, anyway. I’m so glad you could come tonight.”

 Turning to grip Sam’s hand in a warm shake, Vanessa gave him a light kiss on the cheek. She was forever grateful that Callie had met him. He was thoughtful and sweet and he absolutely adored her. Sam was a couple inches shorter than Joe but just as broad through the chest, with blond hair cropped close to his head. He had a classically-handsome face, with chiseled features, and his muscular, bulky build complemented Callie’s slim figure. They made a striking couple.

 Vanessa took Callie’s hand and led her back toward the kitchen. “I need to dress the salad and check on the garlic bread. Come keep me company.”

 Callie followed willingly. When the kitchen door swung shut behind them, Callie asked, “So, are Frank and Nancy coming?”

 “They should be here shortly,” Vanessa said.

 “I thought Sam and I were late,” Callie said, leaning against the counter, arms crossed. “Odd that Frank wouldn’t be here yet. He used to get so irritated with me when I would hold us up.”

 “I’m sure they’ll be along soon,” Vanessa said, hoping to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable topic and wondering why Callie was bringing it up at all. “It’s been crazy around the Hardy household with all the preparations for the wedding. Frank and Nan probably got held up by something or other in relation to that. They were helping us get some essentials moved to the house most of today. Things are starting to take shape around here, don’t you think?”

 “Mhmm,” Callie murmured. “You should have called. Sam and I were in town. We could have come over to help.”

 “I know, but I’m sure you want to spend some time with your folks, too,” Vanessa said. “I know your mom misses you.”

 “Speaking of mothers,” Callie said as Van opened the oven to check the garlic bread. “I saw yours today at the mall with a very handsome man and they seemed quite friendly. You didn’t tell me she had a new beau.”

 Closing the oven door, Van turned to face her friend, eyes alight. “That was Carson. He and Mom have been seeing each other pretty regularly for the last several weeks.”

 “Is he new to Bayport?” Callie asked. “He didn’t look at all familiar.”

 Vanessa wondered why she hadn’t just come right out and told Callie that Carson was Nancy’s father. She was being silly.

 “Actually, he’s Nancy’s father. He and Joe’s dad have been close friends for years. He’s been making frequent business trips to DC lately and what with the wedding and Nan being here he’s been around Bayport quite a bit.”

 “Nancy’s father? So, the Drews are kind of... conquering Bayport, huh?” Callie gave a stilted laugh and cast an uncomfortable glance at Vanessa. “That was catty, wasn’t it? I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Van. It shouldn’t bother me this much…”

 Vanessa gazed at her friend sympathetically. She hadn’t realized just how difficult this would be for her. She and Frank had seemed fine with the change in their relationship whenever they’d run into each other over the last couple years. Of course, that was before Nancy and Frank got together.

 “We’ve been through this, Cal. I thought you were ok with how everything turned out. You even talked to Nancy about it.”

 “I know, I know,” Callie said quietly as she began pacing, arms wrapped around herself. “And the truth is that even if Frank wanted me back he couldn’t have me. I love Sam. He’s the man that Frank could never be.”

 “Sam is a great guy – and you two have been really happy together. So what’s wrong?”

 “I don’t know. I guess part of me was satisfied to think Frank was alone. It felt like... retribution of sorts. I mean, how often did he leave me alone so he could go running off with Joe and... and her, _supposedly_ to solve some case?” Callie shook her head, her smile self-deprecating and apologetic. “Geez, that sounds petty, especially when I say it out loud. It’s just getting to me, especially with the wedding only a few days away.”

 Vanessa took the garlic bread out of the oven to give herself time to think. Since Callie married Sam over a year ago, Vanessa had assumed that she was over her relationship with Frank. Obviously, there were some lingering hard feelings there that she had not recognized before now. Thinking back, she realized there were times Callie would make snippy remarks about Frank. Vanessa had always laughed them off but maybe she should have paid closer attention.

 “I’m sorry I put you in this position, Cal.  When I went along with the double ceremony I didn’t even think about it. And Joe wanted it so badly.”

  _You did, too,_ Vanessa thought to herself. It had been a huge relief when the wedding plans had changed. She adored Frank and over the last couple months she had found she truly liked and admired Nancy. That she and Joe would say their marriage vows in the same ceremony where Nancy and Frank said theirs just felt right.

 “I don’t know how you stand it, Vanessa. Take one Hardy brother and you get them both. They’re like a package deal. That was part of the problem between Frank and me – by far not the only problem, but definitely a big part of it. It’s probably why Joe was always undermining me.”

 The bitter edge to Callie’s voice caught Van by surprise. It also served to irritate her.

 “I think you’re probably right... about it being a big part of the problem between you and Frank, I mean. But I’ll tell you what I don’t understand, Callie. You’ve known them far longer than I have. Going into the relationship with Frank you had to have known how close he and his brother were. Did you honestly think that was going to change?”

 Callie’s face fell. “You’re angry with me.”

 Vanessa sighed. “I’m not angry. Just... frustrated. And I don’t know how to fix it. You’re my best friend, but Frank is going to be my brother-in-law and I am not going to bad-mouth him with you.”

 The sound of the doorbell interrupted their conversation.

 “It sounds like Nancy and Frank are here,” Vanessa said. “Are you going to be alright tonight or should I make an excuse for you to bow out gracefully? I could tell everyone you have a blinding headache…”

 Callie physically shook herself and smiled ruefully. “I’m really sorry, Vanessa. I’m fine... it will be fine.”

 After a critical survey of her friend, who seemed to have shaken the worst of the sour mood and was smiling bravely, Vanessa nodded. “Good. Would you dress the salad with the Italian dressing in the fridge and then put it on the table while I slice the garlic bread?”

 It only took Callie a couple minutes to finish the salad, and she was headed out of the kitchen. Vanessa hurried to cut the garlic bread and put it into a lined bread basket. She wanted to join the others and make sure that the conversation stayed friendly.


	2. Tardiness & Trauma

Nancy was glad she had let Frank convince her to change into the shorts outfit when Joe answered the door in a pair of brown cargo shorts and a red logo t-shirt for Mr. Pizza.

 “Hey, little sister, big brother – it’s about time you got here. I thought you were just going to get a shower and change... or did you get distracted?” Joe cocked a teasing eyebrow at them.

 “Not appropriate, Joseph.” Nancy glared at him, which just served to broaden his taunting smile. Frank’s hand rested on her shoulder, gently kneading.

 “We did get distracted,” Frank admitted.

 Nancy could feel the heat in her cheeks as she glanced back at Frank. The suggestive little grin on his face made the heat migrate throughout her entire body. She purposely looked away.

 “You two are impossible,” she muttered as they moved into the house and Joe shut the door. “Besides, our tardiness had far more to do with Dad and Andrea’s arrival... and the phone call your dad received about a break in at the office.”

 “Yeah, sure. Stick to that story, Nan,” Joe said, and then sobered. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘break in at the office?’”

 Frank nodded. “Someone broke into the HI office after closing this afternoon. They cracked Dad’s safe and rifled through his desk before the security company arrived. He was going to swing by to see what was missing and file the police report.”

 “We don’t even have any major cases on tap, right now,” Joe said. “I wonder what the hell they were looking for.”

 “Who knows,” Nancy said, glancing down the hall curiously when she heard water running. She shook her head and returned her attention to the brothers with a firm admonishment, “I refuse to let it suck me in, and you should, too.”

 Frank and Joe were both chuckling at her when a strange voice broke into the trio’s conversation.

 “I take it this is your lovely fiancée, Frank.” A broad-shouldered blond with a crew cut walked into the living room from the hall, his smile friendly.

 Frank took the offered hand in a firm shake as he urged Nancy forward.

 “Hey, Sam, it’s good to see you. This is my fiancée, Nancy Drew. Nancy, I’d like you to meet Sam Kempfer, Callie’s husband.”

 Nancy took his hand with a smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Sam. I really am sorry we’re late.”

 Sam chuckled. “Oh, the pre-wedding craziness is still pretty well etched in my mind – it’s only been a little over a year since Cal and I tied the knot. And it sounds like you all have extra excitement to add to the mix. So I totally understand. No worries.”

 As Sam released Nancy’s hand, Frank’s arm slipped further around her waist, pulling her close. Callie appeared beside Sam, taking his arm. Her smile was cool, as was her grip as she gave Nancy’s hand a brief squeeze in greeting.

 “Hello, Nancy. It’s nice to see you again.” Callie’s gaze strayed to Nancy’s hair, her delicately arched eyebrows furrowing. “What a... um, cute haircut. It’s very... different.”

 Nancy ran a self-conscious hand over her hair. “Yeah, different is a good word. It’s nice to see you again, too, Callie.”

 “I like the funky ‘do, Drew – provides easy access,” Frank said with a teasing grin at her before turning his attention to Callie. “Hey, Cal, you look terrific.”

 “So do you, Frank.” Callie took his hand and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek, her smile thinning. “It’s really nice to see you.”

 Through the greeting Callie had maintained a stranglehold on Sam. Now he extracted his arm and draped it over her slim shoulders, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. Finally Callie seemed to relax, melting into Sam as she gazed up at him affectionately. Nancy felt Frank’s stance relax and he gave her waist a light squeeze.

 “It’ll be nice to have the chance to visit over dinner,” Frank said. “It’s been a while.”

 Callie’s attention returned to Frank and she nodded, a little too enthusiastically. “I was telling Vanessa how nice it was going to be to get together without some wedding chore hanging over our heads for a change.”

 Joe appeared between the two couples and clapped his hands together. “Alrighty, who wants something to drink?”

 The smile disappeared from Frank’s face and he looked down at Nancy, “Shit. You didn’t happen to grab those drink samples that Mom told us to bring, did you, sweetheart?”

 Nancy grimaced. “No... I bet they’re still sitting on the table in the entryway.”

 “I swear this wedding is turning my brains to mush,” Frank muttered.

 “You and me, both,” Nancy said. She patted his arm. “Give me the keys and I’ll go get them. Your mother will be impossible if we don’t come back tonight with a decision.”

 “I can go get them, Nan,” Frank said, as he pulled the car keys from his pocket.

 “Let me,” Joe offered.

 Callie gave a dry laugh, “So much for no wedding stuff…”

 Nancy didn’t miss the reproachful undertone to Callie’s comment. She snatched the keys from Frank’s hand, and smiled apologetically at Callie and Sam.

 “I’m really sorry. Apparently it’s one of those last minute details that slipped by us and Laura made us promise to wrap it up tonight. I’ll just be a few minutes. We thought maybe we could enjoy the samples with dinner and decide from there.”

 Turning away from the long-suffering look on Callie’s face, Nancy hoped that a few minutes in the car to the Hardys’ and back would allow her time to steel herself for the remainder of the evening. She had just pulled the front door open when Van’s voice stopped her.

 “Nan, where are you going?”

 “To pick up drink samples,” Nancy said, feeling guilty for running out on Van’s party so precipitously. “Why don’t you all sit down and get started and I’ll be back in a flash.”

 Joe followed her out the door and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, his smile teasing.

 “Don’t forget your way back, little sister.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Vanessa put her hands on her hips and looked at Frank. “Drink samples?”

 “Yeah, you know, for the best man’s toast at the reception. Mom had gathered samples of a few options and wanted us to bring them over tonight so we could decide what we wanted,” Frank said.

 Vanessa felt her heart constrict. Laura, Nancy, her mother and she had all been over their checklist a dozen times, and yet this had slipped by.

 “I can’t believe we forgot that! What else have we missed?”

 Joe gave her an absent pat as he walked past her toward the dining room. “No biggie, babe. Let’s take Nan’s advice and get started. It shouldn’t take her long.”

 Frank also seemed totally unconcerned as he followed Joe. “Supper smells delicious, Van.”

 “Really? That’s all you have to say?” Vanessa watched the brothers in disgust. “A huge hole in our planning for the wedding, which is only three days away, and you two think supper smells good.”

 Joe shrugged. “No, it smells absolutely freaking delicious, babe, and I am starving. Remember? You were cracking the whip on Frank and me this afternoon. We require sustenance.”

 Frank chuckled. “Besides, Van, it’s hardly a ‘huge hole.’ So what if we hadn’t had a toasting drink? As long as you and Joe and Nancy and I are there with the pastor Saturday, I’m good.”

 Vanessa noticed the pained look that crossed Callie’s face before being quickly concealed. Even so, she felt herself relax as she considered the validity of Frank’s statement.

 “Of course you’re right, Frank,” she said hastily, and then to distract Callie she indicated the dining room table. “Cal, can you believe what Mom and I found at an antique shop in Oakdale? Isn’t it gorgeous? I was so excited to find a late 1800’s extension table with all the leaves –” Vanessa gripped her friend’s arm in excitement. “Even more so when Mom said she’d buy it for us as an early wedding gift!”

 “That’s so great, Van,” Callie said with a smile. “It’s really beautiful.”

 “Isn’t it? It could probably stand to be refinished, but I kind of like the rustic look, so I don’t know if I will or not. I love the grain in the oak.”

 Callie nodded. “I like the detail on the legs. It really is quite a find.”

 Meanwhile, Joe had sat at one end of the table and cast a questioning look at Vanessa. “Hey, babe, I smell the lasagna, but I don’t see it...”

 “Oh, right,” Van patted Callie’s arm. “Why don’t you all sit down and I’ll go get the lasagna. It’ll just take me a minute to cut it.”

 Frank waved her toward a chair. “If it just needs cut, I can handle it. I’ll be back out with the food in a couple minutes.”

 “Thanks, Frank,” Van said, as he disappeared through the kitchen door.

 Callie visibly relaxed once he was out of sight. Van sighed. It was going to be a long evening.

 They made small talk for a couple minutes until Frank brought the lasagna out and set it in front of Vanessa, who sat at the opposite end of the table from Joe. Callie sat to her right and Van was secretly relieved that Frank chose to sit to Joe’s right – it was about as far away from Callie as he could be without being in another room. They were quiet as they passed plates around so Vanessa could serve the main dish.

 Van waved to the salad and bread. “Help yourselves. I think there’s plenty.”

 Joe ploughed in with gusto. “This is amazing, babe. You outdid yourself.”

 “It is delicious, Vanessa,” Callie said. “I really like the sauce. What did you do differently?”

 “Oh, it has heavy cream in it,” Vanessa said. “Apparently it’s a trick Hannah uses to add richness to the sauce.”

 Vanessa could have kicked herself as Frank chimed in.

 “Hannah is an amazing cook. When we were living in Chicago, I would fast Sunday mornings just so I could gorge myself at Sunday dinner.”

 A hurt look flashed across Callie’s face, hidden quickly by picking up her glass and taking a sip of water.

 “Hannah’s home cooking is second only to her baking,” Joe added fondly. “I used to love going out to visit the Drews in Chicago. I cannot imagine eating like that every weekend, but I think I could learn to cope.”

 “Who’s Hannah?” Sam asked.

 “She’s the Drews’ housekeeper,” Joe said.

 Frank shook his head. “She’s more than that. Carson has always worked long hours, so Hannah practically raised Nancy. She’s quite a lady.”

 Callie sat forward, a bright smile on her face. “You know, Sam’s mom is an amazing cook, too. She’s won prizes at the local county fair for her triple-berry pie. It’s really incredible, isn’t it, Sam?”

 Sam cast a mildly amused glance at Callie. “Mom does make a darn good pie.” Looking back toward Frank and Joe, he said curiously, “It sounds like you’ve known the Drews for a long time.”

 Vanessa cringed at the obvious warmth and affection in Frank’s gaze as she felt Callie stiffen beside her.

 “Carson, Nan’s father, was a boyhood friend of our father’s, so Joe and I have known them all our lives,” Frank said.

 “Yeah, Nan was practically a member of the family, even before my big brother decided to make it official and marry her,” Joe said with a chuckle.

 Van changed the subject, bringing up the first Callie-centric topic she could think of. “Hey, Cal, you haven’t told me what you and Sam did for your first anniversary.”

 It was a relief to see the grateful smile on Callie’s face. She launched into a description of the weekend trip that she and Sam had taken to the Finger Lakes in celebration of their first anniversary. Vanessa noticed that Frank didn’t really appear to be listening, his gaze straying frequently to the front door.

 As she finished, Callie clutched Sam’s arm and smiled at him lovingly. “It was the most romantic weekend ever.”

 Sam returned the smile, squeezing Callie’s hand where it rested on his arm. “It was a very nice weekend. However, speaking from experience ...” he cast a pained smile at Frank and Joe. “Avoid that whole tradition of saving the top tier for the first anniversary. Wedding cake _really_ shouldn’t be eaten after a year in the freezer.”

 “It wasn’t that bad, Sam,” Callie said and then laughed. “Actually, yeah, I guess it was.”

 They all chuckled at that, but Van noticed that Frank seemed totally distracted. She decided it was time to draw him back into the conversation.

 “I don’t know if Frank told you, but he and Nan are buying DiLeilos’ house, right around the block from Mom and Dad,” Van said.

 “Really?” Callie said, her gaze turning nostalgic as it strayed toward Frank. “I always loved that big old place. It’s absolutely perfect for raising a family.” Her gaze dropped and she ended hastily, “Is that beautiful in-ground pool still in the backyard?”

 Frank tore his eyes from the door and nodded at Callie, “Yeah, the pool’s still there, but it needs work. Mrs. D was about ready to fill it in. Who knows, Nan and I may decide to do that, too, after we see what it’s going to cost to fix it.”

 “I didn’t even know Mrs. DiLeilo was planning to sell,” Callie said. “She seemed so intent on staying there even after Mr. DiLeilo passed away a few years ago.”

 “She was,” Frank said. “But she’s pushing seventy and it’s difficult for her to take care of the place. Her kids are scattered all along the east coast. None of them are local.”

 Joe chuckled. “Mrs. D said the yard never looked as good after Frank headed off to grad school and stopped taking care of it. He always was her favorite. When she heard from Mom that he and Nan were in the market for a home she said it was a sign that it was time for her to move to the retirement community near her oldest daughter and make room for the next generation.”

 “She was rather adamant about the next generation thing, too,” Van said with a teasing smile at Frank. “Didn’t she make a point of telling you how many bedrooms the place had?”

 Frank’s face flushed, but a warm smile played around his mouth. “As a matter of fact she did mention that several times. Mrs. D also made it a point to tell me she approved of my choice for a mate – said she looked like she had good bone structure. I was waiting for her to check Nan’s teeth and pedigree.”

 Vanessa caught the furious look that crossed Callie’s face, even if it was fleeting, and wished she hadn’t brought the subject up. But it had been such a funny story. Thankfully, Frank seemed oblivious. She was definitely questioning how wise it had been to agree to the double wedding with Callie as her matron of honor. Unfortunately, it was far too late to do anything about it.

 Joe sat up straight and looked pointedly toward the door. “Speaking of Nan - I wonder what’s taking her so long?”

 With a start, Van looked at her watch and realized that Nancy had been gone for over twenty minutes. Joe’s parents’ house was less than five minutes away by car. Joe was right – she should have been back by now.

 Frank pulled out his cell and dialed her number. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Nancy came to and groaned. It felt like a drum and bugle corps had taken up residence in her head. From her prone position, she glanced around and it took her a full minute to figure out that she was lying in the Hardys’ entryway. It took her another minute to realize that her cell phone was ringing.

 By the time she got the phone out of her pocket the call had gone to voice mail. She pushed herself to a sitting position against the wall and managed to redial the missed call. Frank picked up before it even rang on her end.

 “Nancy? Where are you?”

 “Yer parents,” she slurred.

 “Are you alright?” Frank asked.

 She swallowed and fingered the lump on the back of her head. She managed to mumble. “’M ok. Better call the police. Someone broke in…”

 “Hang on,” she could hear Frank’s muffled voice telling his brother to call the police to their parents’ house. This was followed by a cacophony of concerned voices that exacerbated the pounding in her head even though it was muted by Frank’s hand over the mouthpiece.

 She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. She then decided that lying down would be preferable and slumped over to press her head against the cool tile. That was better.

 Frank was back on the line and she thought she heard an engine in the background. Good, they were coming.

 “Nan, we’ll be there as soon as we can. The intruders... they aren’t still there, are they?”

 The question caused a reviving surge of adrenaline to course through her and Nancy pushed herself to sit up again. Her bile rose at the sudden movement but she managed to stop from throwing up.

 “I don’t know. I... I don’t remember much after opening the door. Whoever it was knocked me over the head as soon as I walked in.” At least she sounded more coherent now, she thought with relief.

 “You were knocked out?” The concern in Frank’s voice was obvious.

 “Um, yes.”

 She heard Frank talking to his brother, urging him to hurry. Her stomach had stopped doing flip flops, so Nancy decided to try standing. She managed to get her feet under her and leaned heavily on the wall as the room tilted.

 Closing her eyes, she willed her stomach to settle. Though she had an overwhelming urge to get out of the house, she knew she would injure herself worse if she tried to move right now. Frank came back on the line.

 “Stay with me, sweetheart. Joe and I will be there in just a couple minutes. The police should be, too.”

 “I’m here,” Nancy said.

 She opened her eyes and the room stayed fairly steady so she turned toward the door. Though the motion made her stomach roil again, she felt confident she could control it. She was gratified when the room didn’t whirl as she chanced the couple steps to the door and gripped the knob.

 The door swung open just in time for her to see Joe’s Mustang skid into the driveway, followed closely by two Bayport police cruisers with lights flashing and sirens blaring. The sensory onslaught was too much and Nancy’s knees buckled, causing her to slump in the doorway.

 Within seconds Frank and Joe were by her side, helping her out of the house to a bench near the front walk. Meanwhile two police officers went in with guns drawn.

 Another officer appeared at their side. “I’ve called an ambulance. They should be here soon. Just hold on, ma’am.”

 Nancy smiled wanly at him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

 Frank had her lie down on the bench, her head cradled in his lap. Nancy closed her eyes and turned her face into his stomach. The pain in her head was so bad she just wanted to curl up in a ball.

 “Did you see who hit you, Nan?” Joe asked.

 “I didn’t see anything.” Her voice was muffled by Frank’s shirt.

 “How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Frank asked.

 “Like I’ve been hit over the head,” she grumbled.

 “Do you know where you are?”

 She cracked her eyes open and looked up into his worried face. “In your parents’ front yard. I’m ok, Frank. I just have one hell of a headache and it’s making me a little queasy.”

 “Ok, I’ll stop talking. But you’re going to the hospital to make sure you’re really alright.” Frank’s voice was soft, but insistent. Right now she didn’t mind his overprotective nature, she welcomed it. She closed her eyes to shut out the flashing red and blue lights.

 She just wished someone would silence that drum and bugle corps in her head.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 The emergency room doctor told Frank that a couple days of rest and observation were warranted, as Nancy had definitely suffered a concussion. However, he seemed confident that she would recover with no lasting ill-effects after checking the CT scan. Though Frank was well aware of the symptoms to watch out for, he listened patiently as the nurse went through them with him again before releasing Nancy into his care.

 After settling Nancy in the passenger seat, he eased the car out of Bayport General’s parking lot and headed toward home. He was hoping the police were finished and out of the way so he could get Nancy into bed.

 “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

 “Much better since they gave me pain reliever.”

 “Are you hungry?” Frank asked as his own stomach grumbled in protest. He had barely touched dinner at Joe and Van’s before the call to Nancy, and the candy bar he had nabbed from the hospital vending machine was long gone.

 “Uh-uh, no food.” Nancy grimaced. “I feel terrible about ruining Van’s dinner party ...”

 “Vanessa said to tell you not to worry about it,” Frank said. “It was hardly your fault and she understands. After all, she’s been dating Joe for years – by now she’s used to this kind of thing.”

 They both chuckled.

 Nancy shifted. “Do they have any idea who it was or why they broke in?”

 Frank pursed his lips. “Con said he thinks it was likely the same people that broke into the HI office late this afternoon. They didn’t find what they were looking for there, so they hit Dad’s home office. The study was torn apart, but so far it only looks like they took one... well, two things.”

 “What was stolen?” Nancy asked.

 Frank hesitated but knew he couldn’t avoid telling her.

 “Our wedding bands.”

 Nancy groaned. “What? Why?”

 “Con and Dad think the only reason the intruders took the bands was because they were easy to pocket – too good to pass up. Their real target was probably something related to one of the cases Dad’s working now. We’re going to run through all the active and recently-closed case files tomorrow, to see if we can turn up any leads.”

 “What about our rings?” Nancy said.

 “Dad already talked to Mr. Hoffstetter, the jeweler. We’ll have replacements by Friday, engraving and all. They won’t be exactly the same, I’m afraid, but they’ll be as close as he’s able to get on short notice.”

 Nancy settled back and closed her eyes, a tired smile on her face.

 “Well, that’s a relief.”


	3. Questions & Qualifiers

Frank turned down Elm Street and slowed as his parents’ house came into view. The driveway looked like a used car lot. Joe’s Mustang sat next to Andrea’s Lexus. Behind them he recognized Detective Con Riley’s unmarked police sedan and beside it a familiar rust-colored Gremlin. He pulled to the curb and parked.

 “We’re home, sweetheart,” Frank said as he turned off the car. “And it looks like there’s a whole army waiting for us – including Rachel and Bryan.”

 “Really?” Nancy’s eyes flew open. “Are George and Bess here?”

 Frank strode around to the sidewalk and met Nancy as she got out of the car.

 He took her arm solicitously and asked, “I thought they weren’t coming until morning?”

 “Oh, yeah.”

 When Nancy didn’t protest but took his arm willingly Frank was surprised. As they walked across the front lawn her grip tightened on him noticeably several times. At the walk, he shifted his hold on her, reaching one hand around her waist to get a firm grip on her opposite hip, while he held her hand with the other. If she did lose her balance he could easily catch her.

 “I think maybe we should head straight upstairs and get you into bed, Nan,” he suggested as they walked through the door.

 “I’ll be fine,” Nancy said. “I want to see Rachel and Bryan.”

 Frank sighed. “I don’t suppose there’s any point arguing with you.”

 “The voice of experience,” Carson said.

 Attention distracted from Nancy, Frank realized that Nan’s father, his father, his brother, and Con Riley had appeared near the entry to the study, crowding into the hall ahead of them.

 Carson stepped forward and cupped his daughter’s chin, giving her a critical once over. “How are you feeling, honey?”

 Nancy sighed. “I’m fine, Dad. Aside from a blinding headache, I’m none the worse for wear.”

 Fenton chuckled. “Must be that hard head you inherited from your father, Nancy.”

 “I think that’s it.” She gave him a wan grin.

 Solidly built, with dark hair peppered lightly with gray, Con’s blue eyes sparked with curiosity as he stepped forward and held out a hand. “I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure, Nancy. I’m Con Riley.”

 Nancy took Con’s hand in a firm grip.

 Frank said, “I’m sorry, Con, Nancy, I guess I didn’t realize you hadn’t met. Nan, you’ve heard me talk about Con. He’s a detective with the Bayport PD.”

 “Of course I remember. It’s nice to put a face with the name.”

 “Likewise,” Con said and then cleared his throat. “I know you’ve had a long evening, but I was really hoping I could get a statement before I left. The sooner the better, you know. While it’s still fresh in your mind.”

 Nancy gave a weary nod. “Certainly. Maybe we could sit down in your study, Fenton? Are the police done in there?”

 “They finished up a short while ago,” Con responded. “There wasn’t a whole lot to find.”

 Fenton motioned Frank and Nancy into the office. “What is wrong with us? She’s just coming home from the hospital and like a bunch of dolts we keep her standing around in the hallway. Come on, sweetie, you can sit down right in here.”

 Frank maintained his hold on Nancy as he walked her into his father’s study. He could feel tiny tremors from her periodically, which worried him. She was trying to put on a brave face, but she was obviously exhausted. He wanted to protest the questions and take her upstairs, but he knew she’d just argue with him.

 He stifled the resigned sigh as he settled her onto the couch. There was no point in starting an argument he knew he was going to lose.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Five solicitous men followed Nancy into Fenton’s study, fussing over her all the way. She was too tired and sore to protest. Sometimes, just sometimes, it was nice to be pampered.

 As Frank took a seat next to her, he asked Con, “You said there wasn’t a whole lot to find?”

 Detective Riley shook his head. “The whole place had been wiped clean.”

 “That figures. Must have been pros,” Frank said, wrapping an arm around Nancy’s shoulders.

 Instinctively, she leaned into Frank, grateful for his supportive presence. But if she let herself get too comfortable she was sure she’d fall asleep. She cleared her throat and cast a questioning look at the detective, who was taking a seat directly across from her.

 “Where would you like to start, Detective Riley?”

 He flashed her a lopsided, apologetic smile. “Please, call me Con. I really hate to do this now, but I also want to get it out of the way so you can put it behind you. Why don’t we start with why you were returning to the house?”

 Con pulled out a notebook and pen and began taking notes as Nancy responded.

 “When Frank and I got to Joe and Van’s tonight, we realized we had forgotten the drink samples that Laura had asked us to bring. I was just running back to pick them up.”

 Con nodded. “So you drove Frank’s Civic back here. When you were approaching the house did you notice anything unusual? For example, were there any strange cars parked nearby?”

 Nancy took a moment to recreate the street scene in her mind’s eye, and spoke slowly as she described what she had seen.

 “Well, the Hardys’ drive was empty, so I knew Dad, Andrea, Fenton and Laura must have already left, but that didn’t surprise me. There was a red VW bug parked at the neighbor’s across the street, but that’s not unusual either. Let’s see… there was an old blue sedan that was parked on the street in front of the next door neighbor’s house. It was a four door, 1980’s vintage de Ville, I think. It had seen better days. I don’t remember ever seeing that car on the street before.”

 “No other strange vehicles?” Con asked.

 “No. Most people in the neighborhood park in their garages, and usually the cars in the drives belong to visitors. The neighbors across the street have a daughter home from college, and the bug is hers – I chatted with her the other day when I came back from my run and she was outside washing the car. But the de Ville wasn’t one I’d seen before.”

 “Did you see anyone in the immediate area, someone maybe working in the yard, or walking by on the sidewalk, who might have possibly witnessed something?”

 “Two boys on bikes – both probably twelve or thirteen years old. They passed the house riding east down the street as I got out of the car. They had disappeared from my view by the time I was walking up the front walk, though.”

 “Did you recognize the boys?” Con asked.

 “Yeah, I see them nearly every day,” Nancy said and looked at Frank, trying to jog her memory. “Will and Kody, right, Frank? If anyone would have noticed something unusual, they would have.”

 Con narrowed his eyes, “What makes you say that?”

 Nancy hesitated, unsure whether she wanted to admit the truth in front of this particular company.

 “It’s just – those two boys have been hanging around quite a bit lately. I usually see them when… when I’m on my run in the mornings. In fact, pretty much every morning since we got back to Bayport.”

 Soft snickers sounded around the room. Except Joe, Joe snorted. Nancy grimaced.

 “Is that why you asked me about them?” Frank asked in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have talked to them.”

 “They’re harmless, Frank. Just a couple of pre-pubescent boys that are getting their kicks watching my... hair bounce while I run. It just would have embarrassed them if you talked to them.”

 Joe was still chuckling but stopped long enough to say in a sing-song voice, “Nancy has a fan club.”

 Nancy gave Frank a tight-lipped smile. “And _that_ would be why I didn’t say anything.” She turned to Con. “Anyway, they’re all over this neighborhood on their bikes. If anyone would have seen anything, they would have.”

 “What are the boys’ names, again?” Con asked.

 “Will Simes and Kody Jenks,” Frank said. “They live next door to each other a couple blocks down on Elm.”

 “Nan’s right, they know this neighborhood better than anyone else,” Joe said. “They remind me a lot of Frank and me, when we were their age.”

 Frank turned to Nancy. “You’re sure there were just the two of them? Usually Keely’s running with them. The three of them are pretty much inseparable.”

 “No, just the two. I remember seeing the girl with them when we first got to Bayport, but I haven’t noticed her with them lately.”

 “Well, based on what you’ve told me, I’d say you notice quite a bit,” Con said with a smile. “Makes my job a lot easier. What’s Keely’s last name? It can’t hurt to talk to her, too.”

 “Jenks,” Frank supplied. “She’s Kody’s twin sister.”

 “Alright,” Con finished writing and looked up at Nancy. “Did you see anyone besides Will Simes and Kody Jenks?”

 “No. I didn’t see anyone else, but I wasn’t really looking. I was in a hurry, because I knew I was holding up Van’s dinner party.”

 “So you pulled into the drive,” Con said. “What happened then?”

 “I turned off the car and ran up the sidewalk. I used Frank’s key to unlock the door. I... ” Nancy shook her head slowly. Try as she might, she still couldn’t remember beyond that point. “I must have been knocked over the head as soon as I walked in.”

 “Do you remember seeing anything unusual inside the house?” Con asked.

 Nancy sighed. “Honestly, I don’t even really remember opening the door. The house looked... normal. I didn’t notice any sign that there might be an intruder.”

 “I was afraid of that,” Con said.

 “We know they entered through the back door, Con,” Fenton said. “Whoever they were they must have come in off either Washington or Maple. That’s probably where they parked, too. Nancy wouldn’t have seen the car.”

 “I agree, Fen, but I don’t want to overlook anything either. We’ll check out the de Ville and talk to the boys.” Con looked at Nancy hopefully. “Is there anything else you can remember, Nancy? Anything at all?”

 Nancy fell silent as she felt all the eyes in the room turn on her expectantly.

 She shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember anything else.”

 Con stood and gave her shoulder an awkward pat. “It’s alright, Nancy. You gave me way more than I thought you would, as it is. If anything else comes to mind please let me know.”

 “I will,” Nancy said.

 Turning to take Fenton’s hand in a friendly shake, Con said, “I’ll give you a call tomorrow to schedule that file review.”

 “The earlier the better, Con. I should be at the office most of the morning but afternoon will be dicey,” Fenton said.

 With a calm smile, Con addressed all of them, “The Bayport PD has things well in hand, so you folks just relax this evening and forget all about this unpleasantness.”

 Joe smirked. “You should know us better than that, Con!”

 Though Nancy knew Joe was right, she was determined not to allow another mystery to distract her from the wedding – even though the urge was nearly irresistible. Glancing at Frank and then at Joe, she knew it was going to be a challenge to keep the brothers from getting caught up, too. She leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes, heaving a sympathetic sigh.

 Poor Vanessa.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe watched as his father and Carson accompanied Con out of the study. Nancy still sat on the couch, head back, eyes closed. Frank had shifted forward and turned to face Nancy, brushing stray hairs from her face.

 “Hey, sweetheart, how about I take you upstairs to bed,” Frank said quietly.

 Nancy didn’t respond right away. She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out before opening her eyes to look at Frank. She smiled at him, but it looked almost apologetic.

 “I am tired,” she said slowly.

 “Then let’s –”

 “I know I probably should,” she interrupted, squeezing Frank’s hand. “But we have guests that we haven’t greeted... and I really want to see Rachel and Bryan, and visit with everyone.”

 Joe stepped forward, eager to wipe that disappointed look off Nancy’s face.

 “I have an idea. I can go upstairs and grab a blanket and a pillow and we can plant Nan in one of the lounge chairs. She can doze off if she needs to that way, but at least she’ll be out there with us.”

 “Thanks, Joe,” Nancy said as Frank heaved a resigned sigh.

 The truly grateful look that Nan directed at him made Joe smile. He knew from experience that it was handy having backup when it came to arguing with the ever-logical Frank. He cuffed his brother on the shoulder.

 “You get Nan settled outside and I’ll be back in a flash, bro!”

 “I feel like I’m being railroaded,” Frank grumbled. But he did stand and help Nancy up.

 It took Joe a few minutes to find an old blanket he didn’t think his mother would care about. He stopped in the living room where Andrea and his mom sat drinking tea and going over wedding checklists. A quick query confirmed that it was ok to take the blanket and pillow outside.

 On the back patio, Nancy already lay in a lounge chair. Joe handed the pillow and blanket to Frank who was, predictably, hovering over her.

 Nancy waved the blanket away, though she didn’t protest the pillow. “I’m not an invalid, Frank. It’s a little bump, that’s all.”

 “You were unconscious, Nan – that’s not a little bump,” Frank said as he folded the blanket and put it under her feet at the other end of the lounge chair.

 Joe smirked at his brother. “Looking mighty domestic there, bro.”

 “Leave him alone, Joe,” Van said before touching Frank on the arm. “I brought the leftover lasagna. Can I make you and Nan each a plate?”

 Nancy was shaking her head and looking a little green.

 Frank chuckled. “I think Nancy will pass. But I would love some, Van. I’m starving.”

 Rachel Sanderson, one of Frank’s good friends from graduate school at GeorgeWashingtonUniversity, plopped into a chair next to Nancy.

 “You people sure do know how to have a good time,” Rachel said with an impish grin.

 With brown hair curling around a cherubic round face, Rachel would probably be described as cute until she was an old woman. In her late twenties, she was downright adorable and her brown eyes twinkled with a barely-contained good humor that Joe recognized as being much like his own.

 “Not sure I’d call it a good time, but it’s definitely a thrill to arrive for the nuptials only to find the front yard full of coppers, erm, police officers.”

 Bryan Tinkerman, Rachel’s fiancé and another of Frank’s friends from grad school, sank to the ground in front of Rachel, leaning back against her legs. Bryan was stocky with dark hair and dark eyes. Joe was slowly learning to appreciate his dry humor, though it was sometimes a challenge to understand his British English. Joe had never realized just how different some of the terminology was between the US and Britain – even though they spoke the same language.

 Frank pulled a chair up close to Nancy and sat down. “More of a pain in the arse, as you’d say, Bry. A few weeks sans excitement wouldn’t hurt my feelings any.”

 Van appeared with a plate full of lasagna and salad and handed it to Frank who immediately began wolfing it down. She glanced around the little group.

 “Can I get anyone else anything?”

 Murmurs of ‘no’ sounded around the circle, so Joe took her hand and pulled her down to sit in front of him on the lounge chair he had claimed. “Take a load off, babe. I think everyone is set.”

 Van leaned back against him and sighed. “This is not how I imagined the evening turning out.”

 “I’m so sorry, Vanessa,” Nancy said. “I take it Callie and Sam decided to cut their losses and head home.”

 “I tried to get them to come over, but Callie didn’t want to intrude. They went back to Callie’s folks’ house – that’s where they’re staying for the weekend. I just talked to her a few minutes ago to let her know you made it home ok, Nan. She was glad to hear it. No one blames you for this evening, for heaven’s sake.”

 “I’m kind of anxious to find out what Con learns ...” Nancy’s voice trailed off. “There I go. I refuse to get sucked into another investigation with the wedding only two days away. I refuse.”

 “Keep telling yourself that, little sis,” Joe said with a smirk. “Maybe somewhere in that mystery-loving brain of yours the message will sink in.”

 Nancy wrinkled her nose at him. “I’m saying it as much for your and Frank’s benefit as my own. We have too much to do to get muddled up in this little enigma.”

 Frank and Joe exchanged a glance and Nancy crossed her arms. “You’re staying out of it, right?”

 “We did promise Dad we’d help with the case file review, tomorrow morning,” Frank said, fork poised to deliver the last forkful of salad to his mouth. He then hastily added, “ _But that’s it_.”

 “That’s it. Right.” Nancy raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him.

 Vanessa snorted. “I’m with you, Nan.”

 “Don’t worry, ladies,” Bryan said. “Biff informed me that the stag party starts late tomorrow afternoon. As a result, they have a rather strict time limit on their involvement.”

 Joe grinned. “And nothing is going to keep me from my bachelor party!”

 “The bachelorette party is tomorrow night, too, isn’t it?” Rachel asked eagerly.

 Van nodded enthusiastically and leaned toward Rachel.

 “Callie and George decided to have it here. We’re combining work with pleasure. The rental company will be in tomorrow to set up the tents, tables and chairs, so we have some early decorating work that you girls can help us with.” Van’s eyes widened happily. “Then we party!”

 Rachel’s broad grin was infectious. “I can’t wait to meet some of Frank’s hometown friends. It’ll be a blast!”

 Joe turned his mischievous blue eyes on his brother. “Just think, Frank – a whole gaggle of females from Bayport spending the evening with your fiancée – like fresh meat in front of a pack of coyotes. I wish I could be a fly on the wall.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Vanessa jabbed an elbow into her fiancé’s side, glancing uneasily at Nancy, who to all appearances was asleep on the lounge chair.

 “That isn’t nice, Joe. I’m sure the girls will be glad to meet Nancy.”

 Frank’s responding smile was mild. “I’m not worried, anyway. Nan’s always been able to hold her own in any situation.”

 “Yeah, when the situation involves guns, criminals and/or bombs she’s fine,” Joe said. “Personally, I think a bunch of women is way scarier. And something tells me Nan is far less equipped to deal with them.”

 They were all surprised when Nancy spoke. “The only reason you’re afraid of that group of women is that you’ve probably flirted with all of them at one time or another, Joe. And that would include Bess and probably even George.”

 Joe huffed and sat back. “I am not a flirt.”

 Nancy shook her head slowly, a small smile on her face. “Keep telling yourself that, _little bro_.”

 Glancing back at Joe with an amused smile, Van was just in time to catch him sticking his tongue out at Nancy. She laughed at him.

 “You only resort to that kind of childish display when you know you can’t argue the point,” Van said.

 Bryan chuckled. “You know, Frank, I am definitely seeing the validity of your claim that your brother is your diametric opposite.”

 “No doubt,” Rachel said with a laugh. “Frank had all the girls in the department convinced he was gay. I’d say that’s definitely the opposite of being a flirt!”

 “Thanks for bringing that up, Rach,” Frank said, shaking his head.

 “Hey, chum,” Bryan said with a smirk. “That little rumor was the only thing that kept Fawn at bay for most of the last year. You should be grateful.”

 “And _that_.” Frank stood. “I think I am going inside to get some more lasagna.” He looked down at Nancy. “Can I get you some, sweetheart?”

 “Maybe a small dish,” Nancy said. “I am a little hungry, now.”

 Bryan pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll come with you, Frank. I’m feeling a tad peckish, myself.”

 “Lasagna’s in the kitchen, right, Van?” Frank asked.

 “In the fridge,” Vanessa answered. “You’ll just need to heat it up in the microwave.”

 Joe patted her butt and she scooted forward so he could stand.

 “I could use a snack, myself,” Joe said as he stretched.

 Van laughed. “Can’t you always?”


	4. Snacks & Snickers

In the kitchen, Frank set his plate on the counter and opened a cupboard to retrieve three more plates while Joe opened the refrigerator and brought out the pan of lasagna. Within minutes four portions were served. Joe put the first two in the microwave and started them heating.

 “I think I could use a beer,” Frank said. “Either of you want one?”

 At Joe’s and Bryan’s affirmative nods, Frank opened the refrigerator to retrieve three beers. He handed one to each of them and then opened his own.

 Frank took a long draw on his drink and then leaned on the counter. Crossing his arms, he considered Bryan through narrow eyes.

 “Why in the world did you have to bring up Fawn, Bry?”

 “Sorry, chum. Just couldn’t resist.”

 Joe turned from putting the last of the leftover lasagna into a container and into the fridge, licking the remains from his fingers.

 “Fawn… she’s that chick that was stalking you, isn’t she, bro?”

 “She wasn’t stalking me,” Frank said. “She wanted a sexual conquest, plain and simple. When I wasn’t willing to oblige her, she probably lost interest. I’m sure by now she’s moved on.”

 “Would seem so,” Bryan said, motioning with his beer toward Frank. “I meant to tell you – it’s safe to come back to GWU. Fawn left not long after your last visit.”

 “Good,” Frank said. “Maybe now I can defend my thesis without looking over my shoulder every two seconds.”

 “Or barring your door,” Joe said.

 “Or worrying about taking a drink,” Bryan added.

 Frank grimaced. “Regardless, at this point the defense won’t happen until after the honeymoon.”

 The microwave timer went off. Joe opened it with a flourish and inhaled.

 “Mmm. That’s what I call a snack,” he said.

 “It’s what I call dinner. The candy bar I had at the hospital is long gone,” Frank said, nudging his brother aside to retrieve his plate before stepping back to the counter and starting to eat.

 Joe handed the other plate to Bryan and then turned to put the last two in the microwave to heat.

 “Nan must be feeling better,” Joe said. “She didn’t look like she was going to hurl when you suggested food.”

 Frank nodded. “I was relieved the CT scan came back clear. That’s just what she needed – being knocked over the head right before the wedding.”

 Joe shrugged. “Beats being blown up.”

 “Not funny, Joe,” Frank said.

 Bryan chuckled. “I don’t know, it is rather amusing. That girl of yours gets into more trouble than anyone I’ve ever met.”

 “Except Joe,” Frank said around a mouthful of lasagna.

 “I don’t know Joe that well,” Bryan said.

 Frank swallowed his food and said, “Take my word for it, Joe’s way worse than Nan. I should know. I’ve lived with him nearly all my life.”

 Joe crossed his arms and smirked at his brother.

 “I just provided practice for the life you’re going to live with Nancy Drew as your wife, bro.”

 “No offense, little brother,” Frank said with a grin. “But life with Nan has a lot more perks than life with you.”

 “Eww,” Joe covered his ears. “Stop right there. Too much information.”

 Bryan laughed and raised his beer to Frank. “Here’s to the perks, chum.”

 Frank clanked his beer against Bryan’s. “To the perks!”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

  _She was walking up the front steps to the Hardys’ home. She put the key in the lock and turned, pushing into the entryway she knew so well. Her eyes automatically focused on the entryway table, where the items she was after had been when she and Frank left earlier._

_The table was empty._

Nancy sat straight up in bed, waking Frank with the sudden movement.

 “Are you ok, sweetheart?”

 Frank’s voice was heavy with sleep.  Nancy flipped on the lamp next to the bed and looked at the alarm clock on the dresser – five-eighteen.

 “Nan, what’s wrong?” Frank leaned up on an elbow and looked at her worriedly.

 “Where are they?” Nancy asked as she swung her feet out of bed.

 Frank stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Where are what?”

 Nancy looked down at him, and felt her focus waver. The sheet had slid down, providing a tantalizing view of his muscular body. She sighed. Ovulation was one of her greatest challenges when Frank was around and she needed to tend to something other than her desire for him.

 “Nancy, what do you need?” he asked, successfully refocusing her on her quest.

 “The drink samples, Frank,” she said earnestly. “They weren’t on the entryway table when I got back here. Where are they?”

 He yawned. “Maybe somebody put them away.”

 “Maybe,” Nancy said as she stood. Pulling on her short terry cloth robe, she started toward the door. “I’m going downstairs to check.”

 “Hold up, Nan,” Frank got out of bed and pulled on his pajama pants. “I’m coming with you. You weren’t exactly steady on your feet on your way to bed last night.”

 “I’m feeling fine, now,” Nancy said, neglecting to mention that as soon as she was upright her head started pounding again. She decided to forego the pain reliever, not wanting to fuel Frank’s overprotective nature. At least not until she’d found those drink samples.

 Frank met her at the door and wrapped an arm around her waist. She studiously avoided looking at him, but didn’t protest the contact. Tonight was their last night together before the wedding and she had dropped off to sleep nearly as soon as her head hit the pillow. Make that this morning, she corrected herself as she remembered it was already early the next day.

 Unfortunately, having Frank’s bare torso pressed against her was reminding her of her original plans for bedtime the night before. Even though her head ached her thoughts began straying toward intimacy. A self-deprecating smile curve her lips as she found herself wondering why women would use a headache as an excuse not to have sex. With Frank close, the whole concept of why she would even want to avoid sex with him eluded her. Good grief was she pitiful.

 Down in the entry hall, Nancy once again refocused on her quest.

 “See,” she said, indicating the empty entryway table. “The drink samples aren’t here.”

 Frank gave her waist a light squeeze. “I know, sweetheart, I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. But I’d bet Mom just put them away somewhere to get them out of the entry hall.”

 “You’re probably right,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “But they were in a box, so there aren’t too many places she could have stored them.”

 Frank restrained her from moving toward the kitchen. “Ok, Nan, you’ve piqued my curiosity. But it’s awfully early. It’ll be easier if we wait until later and just ask Mom where she put them.”

 “Where I put what?”

 Nancy turned with Frank to look at his mother, who stood near the bottom of the steps, hands on hips. “And what are you two doing out of bed so early? Nancy, honey, you need your rest.”

 “I’m so sorry,” Nancy said. “Did we wake you?”

 “Heavens no, my alarm did,” Laura said. “I wanted to get an early start this morning so I’m sure I’m ready when the rental company arrives. Besides, Fenton is heading into the office to prepare for Con coming in.”

 “Mom, where did you put the drink samples?” Frank asked.

 The blank look on Laura’s face fueled Nancy’s interest.

 Laura said, “I didn’t do anything with them. I thought you took them to Joe and Vanessa’s last night.”

  “No, that’s why Nancy was coming back here – to get the drink samples.” Frank’s brow furrowed. “Do you think Aunt Gertrude could have put them somewhere?”

 “No. Gertrude left early yesterday afternoon,” Laura said. “Maybe your father moved them out of the way of the police while they were doing their work.”

 A loud yawn was followed by a sleepy, “What did I move?”

 Fenton stopped behind his wife, slipping an arm around her waist and dropping a light kiss on her head.

 Laura looked up at him. “That box of drink samples that was sitting on this table – did you move it?”

 But Nancy was shaking her head. “No, the drink samples weren’t there when I opened the door yesterday evening. Right before I was knocked out I remember wondering where the heck they could be.”

 “Well, I didn’t touch them, either way,” Fenton said and then yawned again.

 “Where could they be?” Nancy asked.

 “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation,” Fenton said. “But I need coffee first. Do you think it’s ready, sweetheart?”

 “It should be, I set it to start brewing at five,” Laura said. Glancing at the entry table with a narrow look as Fenton urged her toward the kitchen, she puzzled, “It is curious, though. I mean, who could have moved the drink samples?”

 Frank and Nancy followed them into the kitchen. Fenton dropped into a chair at the small kitchen table while Laura went to the cupboard and retrieved two coffee cups. She glanced over at the young couple.

 “Are you two ready for coffee, or are you going back to bed?” Laura asked.

 Nancy opened her mouth to accept but was cut off by Frank’s hasty response.

 “I think Nancy really should get more rest,” he said. “I don’t suppose finding the drink samples is all that critical at this point, anyway. Come on, sweetheart, let’s go.”

 But Nancy was still chewing over the implications. “What if whoever broke in and knocked me over the head took them?”

 Three sets of incredulous eyes turned toward her.

 Fenton voiced the question. “Why in the world would they do that?”

 Pressing her fingertips to her throbbing temple, Nancy sighed. “I have no idea. But it seems far too coincidental that there was a break in and the samples are gone... along with our wedding bands.”

 Frank began to rub her shoulders gently. “Sweetheart, we really should get you back into bed.”

 “I know it seems crazy,” Nancy said, shrugging off Frank’s hands. “But I think... I think we should tell Con about the missing samples.”

 Fenton accepted a cup of coffee from Laura with a murmured thanks and then turned to look at Nancy, his dark features set in a look of concern that mirrored his oldest son.

 “I’ll tell you what, Nancy. Laura and I will see if we can find the samples – they have to be around here somewhere. If we can’t, then I’ll tell Con about them when I see him this morning. Ok?”

 Nancy nodded. “Thank you, Fenton. That would be fine.”

 She saw Fenton’s eyes flicker to Frank in silent communication. Frank turned her toward the kitchen door moments later.

 “It looks like you could use some more pain reliever, sweetheart,” he said. “Let’s head upstairs.”

 Knowing she was being handled, Nancy decided she didn’t really mind. Her head hurt badly enough that it was making it difficult to think clearly anyway.

 She paused only long enough to clear one last, nagging thought from her mind, “I wonder if maybe we shouldn’t tell Con about the missing marriage license, too.”

 Fenton’s brows furrowed, but he acknowledged her request. “I’ll let Con know. Now you head on up to bed and get some rest.”

 Frank led her upstairs and into the bedroom. He slipped her robe off of her and tucked her under the covers. Disappearing into the bathroom briefly, he reappeared carrying two tablets and a disposable cup full of water.

 He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Here, sweetheart, sit up and take these.”

 Leaning up on an elbow, Nancy downed the medication, and then sank back onto the pillow. Frank set the cup on the side table and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

 She smiled up at him. “I’m fine, Frank, it’s just my head. It hurts like hell sometimes.”

 “I know. I am painfully aware of what a concussion feels like. That’s why I want you to get some more rest while you can. The next couple of days are going to be busy for someone who’s supposed to be taking it easy and recovering.”

 “You’re too good to me... and for me,” Nancy said, giving Frank a drowsy smile. “I’m so lucky that you’re mine.”

 “I think you have that backward, sweetheart. But you did get one thing right. I’m all yours. Forever.”

 Frank leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. Nancy stopped him from pulling away by winding her arms around his neck. Now that she was horizontal the worst of the pain had subsided. She also hadn’t missed the fact that Frank was aroused, though he was quite good at quelling the passion that usually burned in his eyes.

 She allowed her lips to part and deepened the kiss. Frank didn’t resist, at least at first, meeting her gently probing tongue with his own. But when her mouth became demanding, her fingers raking up into his hair, he put his hands on her shoulders and gently pressed her back onto the pillow.

 “Nan, you need to rest.”

 His voice was deep and husky with desire. Nancy smiled up at him, and then allowed her gaze to wander suggestively down his muscular chest, over his well-defined abs, and lower. When she finally looked up into his face, again, his eyes burned dark umber with a passion that she could see he was struggling to deny.

 She smiled at him seductively. “This is your last chance until after the wedding, you know. Give up the overprotective act and make love to me, Hardy.”

 “Nan ...” Her name escaped his mouth as more of a moan than an actual word.

 As he started to lean down, Nancy’s lips parted in anticipation, her eyes drifting closed. She could feel his breath softly caressing her face as he stopped a few millimeters from kissing her to murmur, “For the record, it’s not an act, sweetheart.”

 Her eyelids fluttered open and she found herself staring into the warm depths of his eyes. Her heart nearly stopped at the love and affection she recognized there, and she hoped he could see it reflected in her own gaze. Sometimes her feelings for Frank were overwhelming.

 She closed the distance and kissed him. This time he didn’t even try to resist and she smiled against his lips, recognizing his surrender.

 “I’ll take that as a yes,” she whispered.

 But a moment later Frank stood up, and she wondered if he had thought better of it. Her core ached with the need he aroused in her. It simply wasn’t fair that a bump on the head could so totally derail her plans to satisfy herself and him before their planned abstinence.

 Then she realized that Frank had slipped off his pajama pants. He turned and Nancy felt the echo of his very evident desire in every nerve in her body. A delicious sense of anticipation enveloped her, his warm, vibrant body brushing hers enticingly as he slipped into bed.

 Frank leaned up on an elbow while his other hand traced a blazing trail from her cheek to her hip, where it came to rest. “Any requests?”

 The feel of his thumb stroking lightly on her hip was incredibly distracting. She gave him a fuzzy little smile. “Mmm, just you.”

 She slipped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to her. The hand on her hip moved further around and down to cup her butt as he met her lips in a gentle kiss.

 Nancy turned enough so she could slide her leg between Frank’s, pressing her thigh against his erection. He responded by rolling them so that he was partially on top of her, his leg rubbing against her sensitive crevice.

 He set a slow, deliberate rhythm that she followed, at least to begin with. She became impatient first with his soft, almost-timid kisses. She parted her lips, pressing her tongue into his mouth and savoring the taste of him. When that no longer satisfied her desire for him, she pushed her leg more insistently against his hardness, increasing the pace of her strokes.

 “Whoa.”

 Frank’s breathless voice startled her and she stopped moving. Her chest was heaving and she clung to him, willing him not to pull away.

 “Don’t stop,” she whispered.

 But he did pull back as he took a deep, labored breath. “I’m not stopping. I just need to slow down some, sweetheart.”

 Nancy put her hands on the sides of his handsome face. “I wish you wouldn’t,” she said as she pulled him down for another kiss.

 He pulled back again and looked into her face, his breathing definitely ragged and his gaze conflicted. She knew instinctively that he was afraid he was too far along to satisfy her. She wanted to tell him he was being silly, she was just as ready as he was, but that would ruin the mood. So instead, she gave him an encouraging smile and moved her legs apart in invitation.

 Frank didn’t hesitate. A sigh escaped her as his entire, warm length slipped along her clit in the first slow stroke that joined them.

 Winding her legs around his, Nancy tried to force herself to relax and enjoy the intimacy of the moment. Frank’s lean, muscular body stretched out along hers, and she shifted subtly to maximize the contact between them - craving each and every square millimeter of bonding area she could manage with the man she loved.

 But Frank had been very ready, and she could feel the tell-tale pressure deep in her core. He pulled out and shifted slightly, sinking even deeper into her.

 Time seemed to suspend, neither of them breathing as that magical link between them swelled from the tenuous connection in their joined cores outward, until it encompassed their entire being in a blissful unity.

 And then it was over in an explosion of pure feeling and pleasure.

 Even as the orgasm waned they lay locked together. The painkillers were taking hold and making her feel hazy, but still Nancy clung to Frank, wishing that there was some way to actually freeze time so she could forever be part of him.

 In her dreamy state, she found her thoughts wandering to the time when she had worried about losing her individuality to the relationship with Frank. She had been such a fool for so long. An independent, stubborn fool of a woman to think that giving in to her feelings for him would somehow lessen her own existence.

 The truth was that it was only with him that she felt truly whole.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 George Fayne, Nancy’s best friend and maid of honor, had arrived in Bayport early this morning. She had happily agreed when Frank and Joe’s friend, Biff Hooper, had offered to pick her up at the airport. The long-distance relationship they had started two months ago was challenging and any chance to see him was welcome. In fact, she had been looking forward to their breakfast date during the entire flight, hoping it would improve her mood before she saw Nancy.

 And breakfast had been going wonderfully. Had been. An hour ago she would have sworn Biff was going to pop the question.

 She wondered idly just how many girls had been proposed to over breakfast. She suspected not very many. She, herself, had been momentarily stunned, but when that had worn off, the swell of excitement she felt had surprised her. Biff was going to propose to her. What shocked her more was the realization that the answer ‘yes’ was already on the tip of her tongue.

 Unfortunately, by the time all of that registered, Biff had already shoved the ring box back into his pocket. Was he saving it for later? Had he changed his mind? The thought caused her heart to sink into her toes, giving her a severe case of emotional whiplash. Worst of all, since they had left the restaurant Biff hadn’t said two words to her. She couldn’t figure it out.

 She sighed. As had been the case ever since she had met Biff at Nancy and Frank’s engagement party, she was confused. Never had she felt such a mixed up jumble of emotions as she did when she was around the handsome blond. Ranging from near-euphoria to rage to terror, there was no doubt Biff was able to elicit an intense response from her, whatever the situation.

 He pulled into the Hardys’ drive, and turned to her. “I’ll see you later, Georgia.”

 She nearly winced when he used her given name. Usually he used it to tease her, but now it felt like a slap, especially when he sat rigidly behind the wheel, not even leaning toward her.

 She hesitated and leaned across the space to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Maybe if she made the first move he would lighten up.

 “Thanks for breakfast… and for the ride. I’ll see you later?”

 “Probably not until the rehearsal dinner.”

 “Tomorrow night?”

 George couldn’t help the surprise in her voice. She had hoped to see him at least some during the day tomorrow. But she supposed there would be a lot going on with the bachelor and bachelorette parties tonight and the wedding preparations heading into crunch time. Still, she was disappointed.

 “Yeah,” Biff said with a shrug. “You’ll be busy… we’ll be busy.

 “Oh.”

 “I really need to get going,” Biff said.

 George stared at him for several seconds before finally stuttering, “O-ok. Well... bye.”

 She got out of the car and watched Biff back out. He didn’t even wave as he drove away. What the hell was up with him? Going over their conversation during breakfast, nothing jumped out at her. She hadn’t done or said anything to anger him as far as she could tell.

 She sighed. Three weeks before he deployed and she and Biff were apparently having their first fight. It was funny how it had dawned on her so gradually that it almost didn’t register. Given the usual intensity of their interaction it struck her as odd that their first ‘fight’ should be so anti-climactic.

 And she wasn’t even sure what it was about.

 nh

 Inside the Hardy household, George wasn’t surprised to find a bustle of activity. She _was_ surprised to find Nancy actually sitting at the small table in the kitchen, in the midst of preparations for her wedding, and not lifting a finger to help. That struck the athletic brunette as very unlike the bundle of energy that was her best friend.

 “Hey, Nan! It’s good to see you.”

 George leaned down to give Nancy a warm hug, and then pulled back to look at her critically.

 “Hey, George. I’m glad you made it.” Nancy’s smile was warm, but the dark circles under her eyes hinted that all was not well.

 “I wouldn’t miss it, Nan. You know that,” George said.

 Nancy’s gaze strayed behind George. “Is Bess with you?”

 George had been dreading that question. For one thing, it reminded her of the huge blow-up she’d had with her cousin, Bess Marvin, before leaving Chicago. For another, she knew the answer would hurt Nancy – which was a big part of the reason for the argument. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

 “Bess decided to take a later flight,” George said in a reasonable tone. At least she hoped it was reasonable. “She’ll be here later on this afternoon to help with the decorating.”

 “Oh, well, that’s good,” Nancy said.

 George made a conscious effort to set aside her irritation with Bess and her worry about what was going on between her and Biff, so she could focus on her best friend. This was Nancy’s weekend, and she was determined to do what she could to help make it amazing – with or without Bess and regardless of her own problems.

 Still Nancy just sat there, and George finally gave in to her curiosity. “Are you alright, Nan?”

 “I’m fine!” Nancy snapped, and then pressed her lips together in a thin line. “I’m sorry, George. It’s just, I was _told_ to sit here and rest and rehydrate. Apparently I was getting cranky.”

 George moved around the table and sat down opposite her friend. “That’s not like you.”

 Nancy sighed. “I know. I was late taking my pain reliever this morning and I guess I _was_ getting a bit testy with everyone. I’ll be alright as soon as it kicks in.”

 “What are you taking pain reliever for?” George knew her friend usually avoided taking even aspirin.

 Another heavy sigh. “I got a concussion yesterday.”

 George couldn’t decide whether to be surprised or not. After all, it was Nancy Drew and she was marrying Frank Hardy. “You have to be joking. You haven’t gotten yourself mixed up in another mystery, have you, Nan?”

 That made her friend chuckle. “No, George, I’m doing my best to _not_ get mixed up in another mystery.”

Nancy proceeded to relate the events of the previous evening and George hung on every word. When Nancy was done, she snorted.

“Honestly, Nan, even when you’re trying _not_ to get involved in a mystery, you do. You’re like a human mystery divining rod.”

“Ha ha,” Nancy said and then stood. “My head no longer feels like it’s going to explode. I think it’s safe to go back outside and help. But would you do me a favor, George?”

 “Anything, Nan,” George said.

 “Please make sure I don’t bite anyone’s head off,” Nancy grimaced. “I don’t want to get sent to my room without supper.”

 George patted her friend on the back.

 “You got it.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “Well, while you boys are finishing up this chore, I think Con and I will put our heads together over our historical files and come up with a short list of people that might have a grudge and be trolling for trouble.”

 Frank’s father headed out of the room with Con following. It was late morning, and his father and Con had ferried the current case files into the conference room at the Hardy Investigators office in Rosemont, while Frank and Joe got started on review. Frank stood from his place at the conference table and stopped Con with a hand on his arm.

 “Hey, Con, did you have a chance to talk to Will or Kody, yet?”

 “Yeah, I spoke to them this morning. Kody actually headed home right after Nancy saw the boys – a fact that his sister, Keely, confirmed. Will had gone for a ride around the neighborhood. He said he saw a slight man, dressed all in black, getting into a beige compact car parked at a vacant house on Maple. Not a dead end, at least, but he wasn’t able to give much of a description.”

 “Did he get a license plate number?” Frank asked.

 “He told me he didn’t remember, but I got the feeling he was holding back. He was really nervous,” Con sighed. “I thought if I let him stew a day or two and went back to talk to him maybe he’d be more forthcoming.”

 Joe had joined the conversation, blue eyes bright with interest as he nudged his brother. “You should try talking to him, Frank. Will and Kody both idolize you.”

 Con raised an eyebrow. “You know them pretty well, huh? If they’re comfortable with you, maybe you could get more information out of them than I could. I’m pretty certain that Will, in particular, was holding back ... but I got a strange vibe from the twins, too. It was a little weird.”

 “Callie used to babysit for them, so yeah, I guess I know them pretty well,” Frank said. “But I kind of promised Nan I wouldn’t get involved.”

 “I’m not really asking you to get involved, Frank,” Con said with a slight grin. “I just thought maybe if you ran into Will or Kody somewhere, maybe you could have a casual conversation about what they saw.”

 Frank gave a self-deprecating laugh. “The truth is that if I saw those kids I doubt I could keep myself from talking to them about what they know.”

 “That’s the Hardy mentality I know and love,” Con said with a chuckle. “Well, I suppose I should go help your father. And you two have a pile of work, too!”

 As Con left the room, Frank sat back down at the table and pulled another folder off the short stack of active case files. Joe heaved a heavy sigh as he joined him.

 “I can’t help thinking that this is a pointless exercise,” Joe said as he dropped back into his seat and took a file off the stack.

 “Well, we won’t know until we do it,” Frank said.

 The brothers reviewed files for a while, each diligently reading through case details. Finally, Frank sat back with a frustrated grunt.

 “I’m finding nothing. In fact, this whole break in was kind of weird. What thief breaks into a safe but doesn’t take anything? And they didn’t take anything from Dad’s desk, either.”

 Joe sat back as he flipped another folder shut and tossed it aside. “I know. It’s kind of bizarre.”

 Frank rubbed his eyes. “And they didn’t touch the file drawers in either Dad’s office or the reception area. That tells me they were not looking for anything in these.”

 The brothers sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Joe sat forward and Frank recognized the worry in his face.

 “Hey, bro, you don’t think… ” Joe hesitated, and then continued in a rush. “You don’t think Nan could be on to something, do you?”

 “You mean that whoever broke in was after our rings and the drink samples? Joe, that’s just… nuts,” Frank said. “And why would they come here to the office to look for them? That _really_ doesn’t make sense.”

 “But there’s the marriage license, too,” Joe said. “Three thefts related to the wedding - it does seem like more than a coincidence.”

 “I misplaced the marriage license, Joe. And Nan was out of it when she forwarded that crazy theory this morning.” Frank waved at the files still left to review. “Let’s just finish this chore.”

 Joe shrugged and grabbed another folder. “I guess you’re right.”

 Frank flipped through the pile, quickly tallying how many files they had left to review and then checking the time. “If we get out of here soon enough, I’m taking Nan out for a quiet lunch. I need to get her away from the craziness at the house for at least a little while.”

 “That sounds good. You can count me in,” Joe said, bending over the next file.

 “What part of _me_ taking _Nancy_ out for a quiet lunch makes you think _you_ are invited?” Frank asked.

 “Whatever, bro,” Joe said absently. “So, where are we going to eat?”

 Frank rolled his eyes and opened the next file. There was no point arguing with Joe right now.

 He’d just have to give his little brother the slip at his parents’ house. The thought made Frank smile.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe stood as he closed the last file, raising his arms over his head and rotating to stretch the kinks out of his back.

 “I think you were right, little brother. That was a pointless exercise,” Frank said as he tossed his last file on the reviewed pile. “I hope Dad and Con are having better luck.”

 They heard Darlene, HI’s part-time secretary, speaking to someone out in the reception area. A moment later a familiar figure strolled into the conference room.

 Powerfully built, with stick-straight blond hair and surprising green eyes, FBI Special Agent Daniel Jarvi was becoming a routine presence in the Hardys’ lives lately. Joe was still trying to decide if that was a good thing or not. He liked Dan, but until recently he’d had little reason to interact so frequently with the Bureau.

 Frank reached the agent first and shook his hand. “It’s good to see you, Dan.”

 “Hey, Frank,” Dan said with a smile. “I’m a little surprised to find you two in the office so close to the wedding.”

 Joe shook his hand and grinned. “We just can’t seem to stay away.”

 “What brings you here?” Frank asked curiously. “Something up with the Turner investigation?”

 Like his brother, Joe wondered if Dan was here about something related to their latest case that had ended up involving the FBI. He knew the Bureau was still neck-deep in the investigation surrounding the adoption scandal they had unearthed while looking for Nan’s mother’s murderer. Joe didn’t have long to wonder, because the agent was already shaking his head.

 Dan glanced uneasily at Frank and then turned to Joe, his gaze questioning, “I don’t know if this is a good time to talk ...”

 Joe felt a surge of excitement as it dawned on him why Dan had come to the office. Waving a dismissive hand at his brother, he said, “It’s fine to talk in front of Frank. Nan’s the one I was hoping to keep in the dark.”

 Frank’s brows were furrowed. “What’s going on?”

 Dan held out a folder. “Don’t get too excited, Joe. All I have here is a copy of the investigation file from the original kidnapping case. Ithaca PD had it in their cold case files – it took me a while to even get my hands on this much.”

 Joe took the folder eagerly and flipped it open on the table. Paper-clipped to the inside of the file was an old photo of a tiny baby. There was a typed copy of a statement from the mother of the child about how her son had been taken out of the family station wagon while it sat in the driveway of their home. She had only left him a moment to run inside and gather her purse and the diaper bag. When she came back out, the baby and his car seat were gone – stolen out of the car on a quiet, residential street in South Hill, a southwestern suburb of Ithaca, New York.

 Zachary Morgan, Nancy’s uncle, had been kidnapped as a three-month-old almost forty years ago. Joe knew it was a long-shot but he was really hoping that they could track him down.

 Frank looked at his brother and smiled. “Sometimes, Joe, you surprise me.”

 “How’s that?” Joe asked absently as he skimmed the rest of the file.

 “Well, I planned to talk to Dan about looking into this after we returned from the honeymoon, but I see you’re already a couple steps ahead of me.”

 “I was really hoping to find him by the wedding, bro,” Joe said. “I’m way behind schedule.”

 “Well, if anyone can solve a forty-year-old cold case, you two can,” Dan said. “But good luck keeping it a secret from Nancy. I think the only reason she hasn’t been bugging me more about finding her uncle is because she’s been busy with the wedding. Once that’s over, I’m going to have a tough time holding her off.”

 Only half-listening to Dan, Joe asked, “Did you talk to this Detective Sean Flannery?”

 “No, but I did get his contact information,” Dan said as he dug in his inner jacket pocket. He pulled out a card and handed it to Joe. “I’m glad you said something or I would have forgotten. Apparently he retired to CranberryLake.”

 Joe glanced at the card, a big smile on his face. Looking up at his brother, he said, “The Finger Lakes? That’s too perfect!”

 “Definitely!” Frank’s brown eyes sparked with a mixture of amusement and excitement. “Nan couldn’t ask for a better wedding gift – a honeymoon with a mystery.”

 Dan snorted and shook his head.

 “You guys are unbelievable!”


	5. Crashes & Crushes

“I’m kind of glad Laura forgot about the front gardens until now,” Nancy said as she bent over the flower bed under the bay window of the Hardys’ home, pulling weeds and dead-heading the annuals.

 The rain overnight had been a nice, gentle, soaking rain and made the task of pulling weeds easy. However, it had also made everything wet. Luckily the sun had come out this morning and was drying things out, but according to the local weather forecaster there was more rain coming. Nancy was just hoping Mother Nature would go ahead and get it out of her system before Saturday.

 George, working in the garden on the other side of the front porch, chuckled. “You’re just glad to be away from the insanity in the backyard.”

 “You know it!” Nancy said, and both girls burst out laughing.

 Nancy was endlessly grateful to have been relegated to the front yard. Given the intermittent rain showers in the forecast for the next several days, Laura had been forced to rethink her plan for the tent and awning layout for the wedding. As a result, the erection work was not going smoothly.

 The sound of a bike skidding, followed by a dull thud and clatter, caught both girls’ attention. They turned to find a boy sprawled out on the sidewalk. Next to him was a two-wheeled bicycle with one wheel bent up along the four by four post holding the Hardys’ mailbox.

 Nancy hurried out to see if he was alright. She wasn’t surprised to recognize him. It was one of the boys that had been following her around for the last several days. The same boys she had seen just before she was knocked unconscious. She deliberately suppressed the urge to grill him about what he’d seen – that was Con’s job and she had promised herself she wouldn’t get involved. _She wasn’t getting involved._

 Seeing Nancy and George approaching, the boy tried to get up, looking completely mortified. Unfortunately, he had hurt himself badly enough that he immediately sank back to the ground.

 “George, would you please go in and grab the first aid kit,” Nancy said and then she turned to the boy. “Hold on. Let’s take a look at that knee.”

 As she examined the bloodied knee, Nancy surreptitiously studied the boy. Dressed in ragged cutoff jeans and a t-shirt, he was lanky, in an awkward, approaching-puberty way.  He had dark hair and dark, intelligent eyes that were currently wide and staring out of a face pink with embarrassment. Nancy was reminded of Frank when they were kids.

 “S’ok. It’s just a scrape,” he mumbled.

 Sitting back on her haunches, Nancy gave him a friendly smile.

 “I do believe you’re right, but we’ll get it cleaned up and make sure before we send you on your way.” She cocked her head to the side. “You’re Will Simes, aren’t you?”

 His face turned from pink to red as he stuttered, “You... you know my name?”

 Nancy sank back onto her butt, ankles crossed and arms looped loosely around her knees. “Sure. Frank and Joe told me about you and Kody and Keely. They said you don’t miss much that goes on in the neighborhood.”

 George appeared and handed Nancy the first aid kit and a box of tissues. Crossing her legs Indian style, Nancy moved closer to Will and put a hand on his arm.

 “Can you stretch out your leg some, Will? I’ll try to be as gentle as possible, ok?”

 Will nodded mutely, his eyes never leaving her face. Nancy smiled as she bent over his knee. Using tissues soaked with hydrogen peroxide, she carefully cleaned the wound and then blotted it dry. She finished dressing it by applying a generous glob of triple antibiotic ointment and covering it with a bandage.  

 “There – all taken care of!” Nancy said as she stood.

 Frank and Joe pulled into the drive just as Nancy held out a hand to Will. He took it and allowed her to pull him to his feet. Nancy tried to hide her amusement when he stood there, holding her hand and looking at her with a funny little smile on his face. George stood nearby, holding Will’s bike and snickering softly.

 Walking up, Frank raised an eyebrow at Nancy, whose hand was still clasped in Will’s.

 “Hey, sweetheart,” Frank said.

 Will dropped her hand like it was on fire. Nancy suppressed a smile as she reached up to give Frank a light kiss.

 “Hi, honey. Will just had a little accident and George and I were helping him out.”

 Frank smiled at the boy. “How are you, Will? Looks like a pretty minor crash. Joe’s had way worse over the years.”

 Joe chuckled as he walked up to Nancy’s other side so the brothers were flanking her like sentinels.

 “So have you, big brother.” He nodded toward George and the bike. “Nice wheels. Is that a BMX?”

 “Yeah,” Will said.

 Frank asked, “Were you trying a jump when you crashed?”

 Will’s face turned beet red, again, and his eyes strayed to Nancy before darting away as he mumbled, “I was just riding along and... well, I uh, I kinda... ran into your mailbox.”

 Nancy caught the amused glance that the brothers exchanged over her head and cringed inwardly.

 “We all get distracted,” Frank said.

 “Yeah, it happens. Best learn to watch where you’re going instead of watching the, ah, scenery.” Joe glanced down at Nancy suggestively.

 Nancy smiled sweetly at Will, making sure she had his full attention before kicking Joe in the shin. Joe flinched but his grin widened.

 “It’s ok, Will,” Nancy said soothingly. “No damage done to the mailbox and the scrape wasn’t too bad. Can I get you something to drink? I think there’s lemonade in the house.”

 His dark eyes were fixed on Nancy’s face again, but when she made positive eye contact, his gaze dropped slightly – until he realized where he was looking. Nancy didn’t think it was possible but Will’s face got even redder.

 “No, uh, thanks. I really should get home – it’s almost lunch time. Thanks for fixin’ up my knee.”

 “Any time,” Nancy said.

 Will chanced a look at her again and smiled shyly before turning to take his bike from George.

 “I’m afraid the front tire rim is bent,” George said. “You’ll have to walk it home and see if your folks can fix it.”

 Frank took the handle bar and clapped Will on the shoulder. “How about I walk you home, bud? We don’t want you stressing that knee any more than necessary.”

 Will looked wide-eyed at Frank. He chanced a glance back at Nancy who smiled at him encouragingly. Nodding mutely, he started walking down the street.

 Frank leaned down to give Nancy a light kiss. “I’ll be back in a little bit, sweetheart.”

 They watched Frank and Will walk away. Once they were out of ear-shot, Nancy crossed her arms and looked at her soon-to-be brother-in-law.

 “He isn’t going to torment the poor kid, is he?”

 Joe snickered. “I would, if I were him.”

 “Thankfully, Frank _isn’t_ you!” Nancy said with a roll of her eyes.

 The teasing glint in Joe’s eyes put Nancy on guard. She knew she was in for it when he began backing away, watching her warily as he chanted quietly.

 “Will and Nancy, sittin’ in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G –”

 Joe whirled and started to run as Nancy took off after him.

 “Joseph Fenton Hardy, I am going to have to hurt you!”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank let the silence stretch for a couple minutes before clearing his throat. “So, Will, I saw Detective Riley today. He said he talked to you about the break in at our house.”

Will glanced at him and nodded. “Yeah. Detective Riley talked to me.”

“He said you got a look at the intruder.”

 “Yeah, I saw him.”

 “You were over on Maple…”

 “On Maple, yeah.”

 Frank sighed in frustration as Will lapsed into silence again. He was not being at all forthcoming. Con was right. It seemed odd.

 “Where were you when you saw him, Will?”

 Will’s eyes shifted away from Frank. “Like I told Detective Riley, I was riding down Maple Avenue. I saw this real skinny dude, dressed all in black, even down to a black face mask, get into a car parked in DiLeilos’ drive.”

 “That’s all you saw?”

 “Yep.”

 “Only the one person?”

 “Yeah, just one.”

 “What kind of car was it?”

 “A beige 2000 Neon,” Will said, staring studiously at the ground. “I told all this to the detective.”

 “Did the guy in black see you riding down Maple?” Frank asked.

 “Naw, he didn’t see me,” Will said certainly.

 “Did you get a license plate number? Even a partial would help.”

 “No, I couldn’t see, uh,” Will hesitated. “I don’t remember it.”

 Frank stopped and turned to look down at Will, forcing the boy to stop his shuffling walk down the block. “I know DiLeilos’ place, Will. There’s no way you could have seen a car sitting in the drive. The privet hedge out front is too tall and thick.”

 Will shifted from foot to foot. “Sure I did, when I went past the end of the drive.”

 “So you’re telling me you saw the intruder from the end of DiLeilos’ drive just as they were getting into the car and they didn’t notice you and you couldn’t read the license plate number? I’m not buying it, Will. Something isn’t adding up.”

 “Well, maybe I wasn’t exactly... riding down the road.”

 Frank stared at Will for several seconds and then rolled the bike over to a nearby bench and sat down.

 “Have a seat, Will.”

 Will hesitated. Looking down the street toward his home, he appeared almost ready to bolt. But he finally moved to sit at the opposite end of the bench.

 “What?” There was an edge of defiance to Will’s voice.

 Frank pursed his lips and cast a stern look at the boy.

 “Will, it’s important that we know everything you saw yesterday. You know that, don’t you? Whoever broke into our house – they hurt Nancy. I don’t want them hurting anyone else. But I need your help.”

 Will’s head shot up at the mention of Nancy, as Frank had suspected it would. There was no doubt he had a schoolboy crush on Frank’s fiancée. But Will was not being totally honest about what he’d seen, or why.

 “Is Nancy alright?”

 “She’s doing ok. She’s pretty tough,” Frank said.

 Allowing the silence to stretch, Frank watched Will’s internal conflict play out on his young, open face. Finally, Will looked up at him, his eyes pleading.

 “Promise you won’t get mad at me, Frank?”

 Frank allowed his face to relax into a friendly smile. “I promise.”

 “I was kinda, uh... I saw Nancy pull into your drive when Kody and I were riding by. So, I rode around the block and took the path from Maple to Elm to get to your backyard. I was hoping... um… ”

 “Hoping to catch another glimpse of Nan?” Frank asked.

 Will licked his lips nervously. “Yeah. Anyway, that’s when I saw the intruder.”

 “Where, Will?”

 “Coming out across your back deck. He took off across the yard following the same path I was on. I ducked into the Arnolds’ bushes and then followed him back to the car. Like I said – it was parked in DiLeilos’ drive.”

 That would explain why Will couldn’t provide even a partial license plate – he had been viewing the car from the side. Frank wondered if the intruder knew that the DiLeilos’ house was vacant – at least it would be until he and Nan moved in. Mrs. D had already moved to her new apartment, but her family had until the end of the month to move the rest of the furniture out.

 “Did you see anything else? Was the intruder carrying anything?”

 “Not that I saw.”

 “When he got in the car, did he drive away?”

 Will sighed. “I guess so. When he got in the car, I decided I should go back and make sure Nan was alright – I’d seen her go in the front door and I figured she’d surprised him. By the time I got back, though, the police were there. I went back down the path to get my bike where I stashed it. When I did, the intruder and his car were gone.”

 Frank nodded. “All good observations, Will. Here’s what I want you to do. Detective Riley gave you his card, right?”

 Will nodded.

 “Alright, when you get home you’re going to call him and tell him what you just told me. And Will, no matter what, don’t lie to the police. You have to trust me on this.”

 Will nodded, again.

 Frank leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and looked at Will seriously. “So, tell me something, and I want you to be honest. What do you think of Nan?”

 Will reddened, but smiled shyly. “She’s really pretty.”

 Frank nodded. “Yeah, I think so, too. It’s kind of fun to watch pretty girls, isn’t it?”

 “Y-yeah.” Will’s voice was barely audible.

 “But you know it’s not nice to follow them around, don’t you, bud?”

 “I’m really sorry. It was a... it kinda started as a game. Kody and I would see if we could keep her in sight without her seeing us, you know – like real detectives on surveillance.” Will’s face fell. “Keely tried to tell us it was stupid.”

 Frank pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. He imagined Keely had a few choice words about the activity given the boys’ choice of surveillance targets.

 “I’m sure it was a fun game, but please don’t do it anymore... not without talking to Nan about it. I’m sure she’d be happy to help you boys, and even Keely, work on your surveillance techniques. But get her permission first from now on, ok?”

 “She can help us learn how to do surveillance?” Will asked in awe. “Is she a detective, too?”

 “Yeah, and a really good one.”

 “That’s probably why she noticed us following her, huh?” Will said.

 “Exactly,” Frank said with an amused chuckle. “Just promise me that all future detective lessons will be done with Nancy’s knowledge and consent. Ok, bud?”

 Will blew out a relieved sigh. “I promise, Frank. Really.”

 Standing, Frank motioned down the road. “Come on. Let’s get you home for lunch before your mother thinks I kidnapped you.”

 After dropping Will off at home, Frank called and left a message for Con about what Will had told him. Then he called his brother to catch him up, too – a fact that Joe thought was hilarious since Frank was calling him from all of two blocks away.

 Frank smirked as he ended the call with his brother. Joe still seemed to think they were going out to lunch together, but Frank had other plans. He made one final call as he approached his parents’ house.

 Walking to the mailbox that Will had run into less than an hour ago, he paused and admired the view that had likely distracted the poor kid.

 Nancy was kneeling next to the flower bed working, her bare feet crossed as she leaned forward to pull weeds. Her shapely butt popped into view as she stretched toward the back of the bed. Frank let loose a wolf whistle as he strode across the yard in Nancy’s direction.

 Standing, Nancy shed the gardening gloves she was wearing and planted her hands on her hips. The glare she cast at him was offset by the warm smile on her kissable mouth.

 “Franklin Dixon Hardy, what kind of example is that to set for young men like Will?” Nancy asked with a raised eyebrow.

 Frank shrugged and then scooped her up in his arms. “I’ll be honest, sweetheart, I can fully understand why Will ran into the mailbox after seeing you weeding the garden. I think it’s my new favorite spectator sport.”

 Nancy’s tinkling laughter made him smile. When she wrapped her arms around his neck, he slipped a hand up under her hair and pulled her forward for a kiss that quickly deepened. But, if they were going to make a clean getaway, they were going to have to get moving.

 Letting Nancy go reluctantly, Frank turned to find George working industriously in the other garden, trying to ignore them.

 “Hey, George –”

 George looked up at him with a teasing grin. “Oh, are you two done? I would have gone inside to give you some privacy, but you _were_ making out in the front yard so I figured there was no point.”

 “You weren’t bothering us,” Frank said, suppressing a smile. “Can I ask a big favor?”

 Standing, George crossed her arms and looked at him narrowly. “What do you need?”

 “A little alone-time – with Nan – away from here,” he said. “Could you cover for us for an hour or so while I take her out to lunch?”

 Nancy gave a happy little squeal and shoved her feet into her flip-flops. She turned a hopeful smile on her friend, adding her own plea, “Pretty please, George?”

 George’s pixie face broke into a conspiratorial grin. “I’m game. But you’re going to owe me big-time, both of you.”

 Turning to lead Nancy to the car, Frank paused long enough to give George a kiss on the cheek. “You got it, George – anything… within reason.”

 Frank practically shoved Nancy into the car before running around to the driver’s side and jumping in. Within minutes he was backing out of the drive with a grateful wave to George, who called out:

 “Have fun, kids!”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe flopped into the deck chair with a disgruntled harrumph. His own brother had ditched him. Frank had taken Nancy and gone out to lunch without him and Van. He just couldn’t believe it.

 He was distracted from his brooding when Van sashayed over. Joe smiled. Yeah, he’d watch her sashay just about anywhere.

 She leaned over the back of his chair and dropped a kiss on his forehead. Then she stood and began kneading his shoulders.

 “Come on, Joe, be fair. We have our own place to escape to. Nan and Frank have been immersed in the madness here for a while. You know your mom’s right – they deserve a little bit of time away… alone.”

 Joe scowled. He knew Van and his mom had a point, but still – his own brother had ditched him.

 “Why didn’t he just say he wanted to go to lunch with Nan alone? I would have understood.”

 That knowing little smile on Van’s face was cute, but irritating. “I would bet dollars to donuts he tried to tell you.”

 “Oh, yeah,” Joe sighed as his discussion with Frank at the office niggled its way into his memory. “Still…”

 “Let it go, Joe,” Van said as she rounded the chair and sat on his lap.

 Joe smiled at her. All of the sudden he didn’t really care that Frank had run off to lunch without him. Right now, in this little quiet corner of his parents’ backyard, he had Van all to himself. He gave her a roguish smile.

 “Maybe we should move to a lounge chair and get comfy?”

 Van’s gaze strayed to the flurry of activity up near the gazebo. To make room for the tents, tables and chairs, the usual lawn furniture had been moved to this back corner of the yard, away from what would be the formal wedding area.

 “Come on, baby,” Joe cooed, nibbling at her neck. “Nobody is paying any attention to us.”

 Vanessa giggled. “You are incorrigible, Joseph Hardy.”

 “Mmm, I like it when you call me that,” he murmured against her collar bone. He tugged on her tank top, further exposing her cleavage as he ventured lower.

 “Joe.” Van’s tone was mildly reproving. But when her fingers tangled into his hair, he was encouraged to nestle his lips between her breasts.

 Suddenly, Vanessa pulled away. “Did you hear something?”

 Joe gave a frustrated sigh and drew her back to him.

 “I didn’t hear a thing.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

“Keely.” 

The entreaty was barely audible, even though Megan’s mouth was practically touching Keely’s ear.

 Keely Jenks waved a hand, and put a finger to her lips. “Hush.”

 “But Keely…”

 “If you aren’t quiet they will hear us,” Keely mouthed to her mousy little friend.

 Well, maybe ‘friend’ was stretching it. Keely had to settle for hanging out with her neighbor, Megan Ross, when her brother, Kody, and their friend, Will, had started being such jerks. Megan was more interested in barbies than in detecting. But Keely had been forced to make do with her reluctant sidekick for the last several days.

 “Keely, please…”

 Keely rolled her eyes and mouthed silently, “What?”

 Thus began the girls’ mimed discussion as mouths moved though no sound escaped.

 “I gotta go.” Megan’s eyes were wide and she motioned with her head toward her house, located behind them on Maple   Avenue.

 “It is not dinner time yet.” Keely shook her head adamantly. Megan had told her when they started this little adventure that she didn’t have to be home until dinner. That was at least a few hours away.

 “No. I mean I have to go.” Megan crossed her legs with her hand held between them.

 Keely got the message. “Oh. So go. Just be quiet.”

 But Megan wasn’t good at being quiet.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “There it is again, Joe.”

 Van pushed off Joe’s lap and peered toward the thin strip of vegetation that the neighborhood kids affectionately referred to as ‘the woods.’ It was really little more than a small stand of trees and undergrowth that separated the lots on Maple Avenue from the lots on Elm Avenue.

 The woods ran the length of the block that Maple and Elm made with Washington and Jefferson Streets. Between some yards it was thinner, but behind the Hardys’ house, and stretching three or four houses down, the woods thickened where there was a seasonally wet depression that no one bothered to try to clear or keep mowed.

 “Come on, babe, relax. There aren’t any bogeymen in the woods.”

 Joe’s teasing voice distracted Van, and she turned around and stuck her tongue out at him.

 “At least you’ve stopped grousing about your brother ditching you,” Van said.

 “Yeah, well, I guess I’ll forgive him,” Joe said. “Speaking of the woods, did I tell you that Frank talked to Will about the break in?”

 “Oh, no, you don’t,” Van shook her head. “You promised you weren’t getting involved in the investigation.”

 Joe gave her a sheepish smile. “Well, we aren’t. Not really. Con just asked if we’d –”

 “Get involved,” Van said, and then waved a dismissive hand. The truth was, she was curious about what Frank had learned. “So, you said Frank talked to Will.”

 Joe’s face broke into an excited smile. “Yeah, Will was actually hiding out in the woods, right back here when he saw the intruder.” Joe related what little information the boy had been able to provide.

 Van shivered. “You mean that guy was actually parked at what will soon be Nancy and Frank’s home? That’s just creepy.”

 “Yeah, I know,” Joe’s gaze strayed toward the head of the trail that led into the woods. “Hey, want to take a walk with me?”

 Vanessa looked at him warily. “To the DeLeilos’ house?”

 Joe shrugged and flashed her a hopeful smile. “Can’t hurt to just have a look around.”

 “Incorrigible.” With a resigned sigh, Van waved toward the path. “Come on, let’s go.”


	6. Wine & Whine

Nancy looked over at her fiancé and felt her entire body relax in contentment. It was a relief to be leaving the wedding preparations behind, even if it was for only an hour or two. Especially if it meant having Frank all to herself for a while.

 “Where are we going?” she asked.

 The smile that lit Frank’s handsome face was enough to turn Nancy into a puddle. She seriously wondered how he had remained single while he was at GWU. Good looking, intelligent, and an incredibly nice guy, she just couldn’t understand how anyone could resist him.

 “It’s a surprise,” he said. “You’ll just have to be patient. It’s not far.”

 The windows were wide open as they rode in comfortable, companionable silence. Watching as Frank skillfully maneuvered the curves of Shore   Drive, which skirted BarmetBay, she found her thoughts wandering. Obviously they were headed toward the outskirts of Bayport. It occurred to her that she didn’t really care where they were going, as long as they were together – either for lunch, or for the rest of their lives.

 A content smile settled back on her lips as she turned her face toward the window to breathe in the sea air. She soaked in the gorgeous view over the bay, sinking back into the seat as she relaxed. Her head jerked forward and she winced as the lump she’d received yesterday was the first thing to touch the headrest.

 She knew Frank had noticed when he squeezed her hand. “Are you ok, sweetheart?”

 “I’m fine. I momentarily forgot about the sore spot on my head. It’s still really tender.”

 “I imagine it will be for a couple more days, anyway,” Frank said. “Hopefully it’ll feel better by the time we’re on our honeymoon.”

 They rounded a curve in the road where it turned inland from the rocky outcrops that overlooked the bay. Before them stretched row after row of neatly tended grape vines on either side of the road. A couple miles ahead a rustic barn popped out of the vineyard landscape. Frank slowed the car as they neared the barn. A wooden sign, with a carved likeness of a bunch of grapes draped over a wine barrel, announced _Bayside Vineyards Tasting Room and Cafe_.

 Swinging into the gravel parking lot next to the barn, Frank turned off the car and looked at Nancy. “We’re here. What do you think?”

 Nancy stared in wonder. “Is this the vineyard that Chet and his friend started?”

 “This is it,” Frank said with a smile.

 Gravel crunched underfoot as they made their way arm in arm toward the entrance to the barn, past a fresh herb garden bordered by a flat stone wall.

 The weathered building looked like it had sat in its current location for at least a century, but the modern French doors that led to the interior hinted that all was not as it appeared on the outside. The dining area was wide and airy, with skylights strategically located in the rafters of the barn, filling the area with ambient light.

 A high counter ran across the back third of the building, separating the open kitchen from the dining area. The overhead doors at one end were open with a screen covering – letting the fresh sea air wash over the few customers that mingled at the tasting bar by the kitchen.

 Chet Morton, a wide grin on his broad, sunburned face, waved to them as they walked through the door.

 “Frank, Nancy, I’m glad you could make it!”

 The blocky, blond-haired man ducked out from behind the bar and approached Frank with an outstretched hand. They met in the middle of the empty dining area, hands clasping as Chet pulled Frank in for a brotherly embrace.

 “It’s good to see you, too, Chet,” Frank said, clapping his friend’s broad back.

 “I’ve seen more of you in the last couple weeks than I have for a few years, buddy – not that I’m complaining,” Chet said as he released Frank. He turned to Nancy and gave her a one-armed squeeze around the shoulders. “Hey, Nan, I’m really glad you came.”

 Nancy gave Chet a peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Chet. That means a lot.”

 It really did, too. Of Frank’s Bayport friends, Chet had been the friendliest toward her right from the first meeting.

 Frank raised an eyebrow at his friend. “You sure are in high spirits today. It’s like the old Chet is back.”

 Frank had told her he was concerned about his friend. It had been four years since Chet had convinced his father to stop selling the grapes the Mortons raised and give the vineyard a try. A lot of hard work had followed, and they had opened the doors less than six months ago with their first year wines.

 The stress had been telling on the usually easygoing Chet. His time had been split as he continued to work with his father on the family truck farm while trying to get the new vineyard up and running with his partner, and the vintner of the duo, Gabe Chilworth. Based on Chet’s high spirits, things had to be looking up.

 “We got another positive review in _Vineyards on the Coast_ yesterday and we just found out that Gabe has been nominated for best new vintner by the Northeastern Vintners’ Guild.” Chet’s smile was broad.

 “Sounds like all your hard work over the last few years is starting to pay off, Chet,” Frank said with a smile.

 “Hopefully,” Chet clapped his hands together and turned his attention to Nancy. “Anyway, I was really psyched when Frank said he wanted to bring you out here for lunch, Nan. There’s a brand new thing we’re trying out. I can’t wait to hear what you think!”

 Frank looked around. “The place looks amazing, Chet. You and Gabe have really outdone yourselves.”

 “Pretty great, isn’t it? Hey, Nan, you haven’t met Gabe, have you?” Chet waved a hand toward the bar. “Gabe! C’mon over here.”

 A tall gangly man with thinning brown hair broke away from a group that was sampling wine, reached over the bar to retrieve a basket, and ambled over. The smile on his generous mouth was easy and friendly.

 “You’re like a bull in a china shop, Chet,” he said as he approached. “It’s a good thing those customers happen to be my brother and his family.”

 “I figured I’d give your brother a breather. He says you hover over him too much when he’s here, anyway,” Chet said lightly and then cuffed Frank on the shoulder. “You’ve met my pal, Frank Hardy, before.”

 “Hi, Frank. It’s nice to see you again,” Gabe said, shaking Frank’s hand. He handed him the basket. “As ordered.”

 “And this lovely lady here is Nancy Drew, Frank’s fiancée,” Chet said, putting a beefy hand on Nancy’s shoulder. “Nancy, I’d like you to meet my partner, and the genius behind this place, Gabe Chilworth.”

 “Nancy, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Though I do have to disagree with Chet about one thing – this vineyard is as much his brainchild as mine,” Gabe said with a gracious smile. “In fact, the picnic lunches were entirely Chet’s idea. We’ve prepared a delicious meal for you and Frank to enjoy out on the grounds. And I believe Chet even has a spot he’d like to recommend.”

 Chet nodded enthusiastically. “I have the hay wagon waiting out back.”

 Frank was glancing about curiously. “I don’t recall the smell of the wine being quite so strong in here. Have you been doing a lot of tasting lately?”

 Gabe’s gaze locked on the basket. “Actually, it’s stronger than usual. I’m afraid we could have a casualty. May I?”

 Frank handed the basket to Gabe who set it on a table. The smell of wine became stronger when he opened the lid and they all leaned forward to look inside.

 “How in the world did that happen?” Chet asked.

 The food within the basket, as well as the picnic blanket, had all been soaked in wine. Gabe lifted out the wine tote and undid the latch. Inside the padded wicker holder, the broken remains of the bottle still lay.

 Nancy reached down and lifted the label, careful not to dislodge the broken glass of the bottle still clinging to it. It looked as if something sharp and pointed had struck the bottle in the middle of the label, leaving a hole around which shards of glass radiated.

 “This doesn’t look like it was an accident,” she murmured thoughtfully.

 Pointing at the two wine glasses still intact and snug in their holding spot within the lid of the tote, Frank nodded in agreement.

 “If it had been an impact to the tote or basket that broke the wine bottle, it would have broken the wine glasses too. I think Nan’s right – the wine bottle was broken deliberately.”

 Closing the tote and setting it back in the basket, Gabe smiled tightly and said, “I’m terribly sorry about this. It’ll only take a few minutes to prepare another picnic lunch. Chet, why don’t you pour them each a glass of the Riesling while they wait?”

 Nancy and Frank followed an obviously-perplexed Chet back to the tasting bar.

 “I just don’t understand it,” Chet said as he set two glasses on the bar.

 “Who made the lunch?” Frank asked.

 Chet stood after retrieving a bottle from a small refrigerator under the bar. “Well, I started it as soon as you called, Frank…”

 Gabe appeared. “Yes, but then Lacey came and you asked Maddy to finish the basket for you.”

 “Who are Lacey and Maddy?” Nancy asked.

 “Madelón Flores has been with us since we started this little venture,” Gabe said. “And she has a bit of a crush on Chet, here.”

 “You’re imagining things, Gabe. Maddy is not interested in me.” Chet turned to Frank. “You remember Maddy, don’t you, Frank? She actually moved to Bayport with her family during our senior year. She ended up graduating with Joe.”

 “Yeah, I remember her,” Frank said.

 “She was always quiet and kind of shy, but she’s a sweet girl. Her folks have been seasonal workers on Dad’s farm for years. She’s more like a little sister than an employee. In fact, she reminds me a lot of Iola.” Chet’s smile was reminiscent for a moment, and then he shook his head adamantly. “I’m sure she didn’t have anything to do with this.”

 Gabe raised his eyebrows. “You’re certain Maddy didn’t think she was finishing a basket for you to take on a romantic little picnic with Lacey?”

 Chet’s blush was evident even under his sunburn as he mumbled, “I don’t think so.”

 Frank raised an eyebrow at his friend. “And who is Lacey?”

 “Lacey is, uh, well, she’s kinda…”

 Gabe shook his head, amusement winning out over his concern about the deliberately broken bottle of wine.

 “Spit it out, Chet. Lacey’s his girlfriend. They’ve been dating for what, a few weeks now.”

 “Just a couple,” Chet murmured.

 “Really?” Frank said.

 “Yeah, I guess we’re… kinda dating.” Chet looked at Frank, his smile mildly awe-struck, “I mean, she’s gorgeous, Frank. And we’ve only been going out for a couple weeks, but she seems real nice, too – smart and sweet. I never thought in a million years I’d ever meet anyone like Lacey – let alone go out with her.

 “Well, she’s obviously a lady with good taste,” Frank said with a chuckle. “And it looks like we may have solved this particular little mystery. You better watch your step with two women after your attention.”

 “I’m telling you, Maddy is not interested in me that way. We’re just buds,” Chet said. “I really don’t think she did this.”

 “Just buds. Right.” Gabe shook his head as his gaze sobered. “At any rate, we’ll have to talk to Maddy later and sort this out.”

 Chet drummed his fingers on the counter. “Maybe it was an accident.”

 “I really don’t think so,” Nancy said.

 Frank gave his friend a sympathetic look. “I don’t know that it was Maddy, but since she was left in charge of the lunch you probably should talk to her, Chet.”

 He grimaced. “That’ll be a fun conversation.”

 Gabe put a hand on Chet’s shoulder. “I can do it, if you prefer.”

 “No,” Chet said. “I really don’t think she did it on purpose, but I’ll talk to her and see if she has any ideas about how it happened.”

 A young man appeared at Gabe’s side with another picnic basket. Gabe opened the basket and the tote to confirm that everything was intact and then handed it to Frank.

 “And we’ll take it as a lesson to double-check the basket before handing it to the customer,” Gabe said with a smile. “There you are. I hope you enjoy!”

 Returning the bottle of wine and the still-empty glasses to their storage places, Chet said, “Guess we don’t need these. C’mon, you two, let’s go!”

 Gabe returned to his brother’s group with a friendly wave. Frank and Nancy followed Chet toward the rear of the barn. Just as Chet was opening the glass sliding door a brassy female voice sounded from the front entrance.

 “Chet Morton, don’t you walk out on me again!”

 Nancy turned toward the source of the voice to find a tall, thin blonde striding toward them.

 Her gaze was focused on Chet, but as she came closer and took in Frank and Nancy’s presence, her pace slowed. By the time she reached their group, her entire attention was on Nancy, the veiled hostility in the gaze unmistakable.

 “Hello, Frank,” she said, her tone cool. She then held out a hand to Nancy. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Liz Webling, of the Bayport Recorder Weblings. And you are?”

 As Nancy took the offered hand, Frank took up the introductions.

 “Hey, Liz. I haven’t seen you in a while. I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Nancy Drew.”

 Nancy recognized the forced cheerfulness in Frank’s tone, and it served to put her on guard. She gripped the offered hand in a firm shake and said evenly, “It’s nice to meet you, Liz.”

 Liz dropped Nancy’s hand. “Yes, well, it’s… nice to meet you, too, Nancy. I’ve heard ever so much about you.”

 Nancy shrugged off the snide tone and smiled at Liz warmly. “Frank’s told me a lot about you and his other friends here in Bayport, too. It’s great to finally get to put faces with names.”

 “I’m sure it is,” Liz said shortly, and then turned pointedly away from Frank and Nancy to address Chet. “When we talked earlier, you promised you and Gabe would both be here at twelve thirty. I need to get the photos and interview completed for the full-page spread we’re doing on the winery.”

 Chet nodded in Gabe’s direction. “I’m just running Frank and Nan out into the vineyard, I won’t be long. Gabe can show you around and get you some great shots of the facilities here while I’m gone. Then when I get back we can sit down for the interview. Is that ok?”

 Liz heaved a resigned sigh. “I suppose. Just don’t be too long. I have another appointment at three and I still need to get lunch.”

 Chet grinned. “Lunch is absolutely no problem, Liz.”

 Gabe had appeared at Chet’s side. “Ms. Webling, I’m so glad you agreed to come back. If you come right over here, I have some wine samples for you to enjoy with a light meal, and then I’ll give you the ten-cent tour.”

 Gabe led Liz away as Chet herded Frank and Nancy out the back.

 “Whew, Liz is in a rare mood today,” Chet said.

 “You could say that,” Frank said, his face set in a disgruntled frown.

 Nancy shrugged and pulled Frank out into the sunshine. She refused to let Liz Webling ruin her romantic lunch with her fiancé. “Shake it off, Hardy. Let’s go enjoy our quiet time while we have it.”

 The frown was slowly replaced by a grudging smile. “Ok.”

 Motioning to a small orange tractor with a hay wagon attached to it, Chet grinned.

 “All aboard! Next stop, a secluded corner of the vineyard set aside just for you two!”

nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank helped Nancy up onto the hay wagon and then hopped up to join her. Chet looked back and gave a thumbs up which Frank returned as soon as he and Nancy were settled. The tractor gave a lurch and soon they were bumping along the edge of a field of newly-planted vines. They followed a grassed stream that had been channelized to run straight, acting as a border between this field and the next.

 The setting was peaceful, but in his mind, Frank was chewing over Liz’s behavior toward Nancy. It had really ticked him off. She acted like she disliked Nan when she didn’t even know her. She wasn’t the first of his friends to behave that way, but she had been the most blatant. Even some of his closest friends had been cool toward Nan, at least at first. He just couldn’t understand it.

 He continued brooding as they bounced toward a stand of trees at the back of the field. The tractor engine made talking nearly impossible, anyway.

 Chet brought the tractor to a stop at the point where the stream meandered into the woods. The soothing quiet of the scene took a moment to register through Frank’s sour thoughts once the rumble of the tractor was gone.  

 Nancy patted their joined hands. “Why so solemn, Hardy?”

 Looking down into her beautiful aqua blue eyes, Frank smiled and shook off the worst of his irritation. It didn’t really matter what Liz or anyone else thought about his engagement to Nancy. She made him happy. Whole.

 “Sorry,” he said hastily. “It’s nothing.”

 Nancy’s soft, knowing smile was soothing. “Don’t let Liz bother you, honey. She’ll come around. It’s just going to take your old friends some time to get used to seeing you with me instead of Callie.”

 Nancy stood and Chet reached up to help her down. Frank jumped down and picked up the picnic basket.

 Chet had obviously overheard their brief conversation. “She’s right, Frank. I think we’re all just so used to seeing you with Callie that it’s taking a little time to get used to seeing Nancy instead. It’s no biggie.”

 “I can kind of understand that, but that doesn’t mean that Liz should be rude to Nancy, or dislike her for that matter,” Frank said, his irritation resurfacing. “I don’t remember seeing anyone acting like that when Callie brought Sam around. I mean, it was weird, sure, but we all treated him like one of the gang, not like an interloper.”

 Chet gave a one-shouldered shrug, pressing his lips into a thin line before responding. “That was a little different, though. I mean, Sam hadn’t been around… before… you know, when you and Callie were dating. I mean, the gang might never have met Nancy, but you and Joe had talked about her so we knew of her. And it’s not like we thought anything was going on, but… ”

 “What’s that supposed to mean?” Frank snapped.

 With a bowed head, Chet mumbled, “Forget I said that. It’s just – it’s nothing, Frank. Just forget it.”

 Frank grimaced. “I’m sorry, Chet. But I really want to understand. Callie’s the one that broke up with me, not vice versa. But the undercurrent since I’ve been home has definitely been that the whole thing was somehow my fault. I really don’t get it.”

 “I really don’t get it, either, buddy.” Chet put a hand on Frank’s shoulder, his face set in a hopeful little smile. “Let’s just forget it, ok? Go enjoy your lunch and forget about everything for a little bit. That’s why you wanted to bring Nan here, right?”

 Nancy squeezed his hand. “He’s right, honey. Let’s just go and relax.”

 Frank nodded, and Chet motioned back toward a wide, mowed path cut between the trees.

 “If you follow that back about a hundred yards, you’ll find a big old oak tree next to a little pond. It’s my favorite spot to sit and think. I’ll be back in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, to pick you up. If you need anything, just give me a buzz on my cell.”

 The tension abated as the idea of quiet time with Nan filled Frank’s thoughts. He gave his friend a grateful smile. “Sounds perfect, Chet.”

 Chet hopped back on the tractor and was soon chugging on around the field. Meanwhile, Frank and Nancy ventured down the shaded pathway.

 The oak tree dominated a small grassy meadow. The stream they had followed back to the woods emptied into a pond bordered by cattails. The croaking of bullfrogs and intermittent twitter of birds punctuated the soft background sound of the breeze in the trees.

 Frank set the basket down and pulled out the blanket. “I’m glad they gave us something to sit on. It’s still kind of wet from the rain last night.”

 Nancy took the other edge of the blanket and helped him spread it out. “I’m really hoping it won’t rain on Saturday. Unfortunately, the forecast isn’t looking great.”

 “Bald, naked, wet,” Frank flashed her a grin. “I really couldn’t care less as long as you say ‘I do’ at the appropriate time on Saturday, sweetheart.”

 “We could just elope and avoid all of this hoopla,” Nancy said thoughtfully as she set out their plates and the containers of food.

 Frank laughed. He opened the wine bottle and filled the two wine glasses, handing one to her. “Don’t tempt me, Nan.”

 “No more than I’m tempting myself.”

 They made themselves comfortable and chatted idly as they enjoyed their meal. The appetizer, slices of peppered salami with herbed cream cheese, disappeared quickly. A wholegrain tortilla wrapped around turkey with fresh vegetables and guacamole, was a delicious main course. The dessert of fresh-cut fruit with vanilla dip was the perfect end to the picnic.

 When they were done eating, they packed the empty dishes and trash back into the basket. Frank folded the blanket to provide padding to sit on and leaned back against the tree. He sighed in contentment as Nancy relaxed against him. Her head came to rest on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her.

 “You know, eloping doesn’t sound like such a bad idea,” he said, closing his eyes and smiling as he let his imagination take over. “We could fly to Vegas and get married by an Elvis impersonator. Imagine the wedding photos.”

 “Aunt Gertrude would be scandalized,” Nancy said with a chuckle. “You’re willing to go to great lengths to avoid the full-blown wedding and reception, Hardy. We’d still have to face your friends eventually, you know.”

 Frank’s eyes popped open and he looked down at her. “Geez, you make it sound like we’re going in front of a firing squad.”

 “Sometimes it almost feels like that, to be honest,” Nancy said, her tone conveying her discomfort.

 He tightened his arm around her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know the reception has been kind of lukewarm. I wish I could change that, but I honestly don’t understand it.”

 Nancy pushed herself up out of his arms and looked at him. “You really do need to be knocked upside the head with the truth sometimes, don’t you, Hardy?”

 Frank crossed his arms. “So enlighten me, Drew.”

 “Callie broke up with you not long after we got back from Egypt, didn’t she?”

 Frank shrugged. “Yeah, probably a couple months after that, I guess.”

 Nancy’s eyebrows slowly elevated over her eyes, as if waiting for something.

 Finally she said, “And you really don’t see the connection?”

 “What connection?”

 “Callie broke up with you after our case in Egypt, Frank. It’s about the same time Ned and I started having real trouble, too. You have to understand the implication. I know you felt as guilty as I did about what happened between us over there.”

 Frank shook his head. “I may have felt guilty about it, but if anything, it made me that much more determined to make things work with Cal. To make it up to her.”

 Nancy sat back and considered him for several seconds before responding.  “Let me guess what happened when you got back, Frank. You were solicitous. You took Callie out, spent lots of time with her, did all the things you hated but you knew she loved. You were a model boyfriend. But… in unguarded moments she would catch you staring off into space.”

 Frank had to consciously relax his jaw, which had slowly tightened as she spoke.

 “That’s a little creepy, Nan. How did you know that?”

 “I know because I was the exact same way,” she said. “Something happened in Egypt, Frank. When we were ‘married’ it felt so right. For the first time in my life, I felt… complete. But it was you, and not Ned. And at the time I thought, I should be able to do this with Ned. I can go back and make it work with Ned. But I couldn’t. No matter how hard I tried, I never felt the same with Ned as I did when I was with you.”

 Frank stared at her. She had just put her finger on what had nagged at him upon his return from Egypt. No matter how he tried, he had never been as comfortable with Callie, never been as happy, never been as _complete_ … as he was with Nancy.  Could he have made the relationship with Callie work if it had lasted? He shook his head. The fact remained that Callie hadn’t even given it a chance.

 “But that doesn’t change the fact that Callie was the one who ended our relationship. I was willing to make it work. I was committed to making it work.”

 “I really think Callie loved you, Frank,” Nancy said softly. “She loved you so much that she let you go. I also think I should thank her for that.”

 “You don’t walk away from someone you love.”

 “You do if it’s the right thing to do.”

 With a stubborn shake of his head, he said, “I think you’re wrong, Nan. If you care about someone, you stand by them – you don’t abandon them.”

 Nancy glanced away, her voice soft and uncertain as she said, “Do you wish you could go back and make Callie stay?”

 “What?” Frank reached out and grasped both of her hands in his. “No, Nan, never. I wouldn’t take Cal back even if I could.”

 “But you’re obviously struggling to figure out why your relationship ended? Why does it matter if you don’t wish you could go back?”

 “Nan, _I love you_. And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much. This has nothing to do with wishing I could go back. It has everything to do with wishing I could understand why my friends seem to think that _I_ am somehow the one to blame for _Callie_ breaking up with _me_.”

 Nancy’s head tilted to the side and a slight smile curved her lips. “I love you too, honey. You are so adorably clueless about women. I’m telling you – Callie left because it was what was best for you.”

 Studying their joined hands, Frank knew he was being stubborn about his anger at Callie. It had been over two years, and the truth was that it still bothered him.

 “Maybe she did do it ‘for me’ like you say, Nan. But it doesn’t change the fact that _she_ walked away from _me_ – from our relationship.” He looked up into Nancy’s face and said firmly, “That wasn’t my fault. And it certainly wasn’t yours.”

 “I love you so much, Frank, and I don’t want you to ever think that I regret the things that have happened that brought us to this point. But the truth is that you and I are both culpable in what happened in our former relationships. You need to accept that.”

 She slipped back into the curve of his arm, snuggling into him. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. We’re supposed to be relaxing, not wasting time regretting the past.”

 Frank kissed her forehead and pulled her tight against his chest. They sat in silence for some time as he mulled over what she had said. In some respects Nancy was right, but he still didn’t really understand why Callie had left him. He could see how his relationship with Nancy could have been misconstrued, thus hurting Callie. He could even understand how that could possibly affect how his friends reacted to his engagement, and to his fiancée.

 Still, Callie had walked away from him, not the other way around. But he had been in love with Nan for quite a while - probably even before Cal had broken up with him if he was honest with himself.

 “I suppose I do owe Callie an apology,” he finally said.

 “Maybe not an apology so much as an explanation,” Nancy said quietly. “You need to at least talk with her and clear the air. As amicable as your breakup seemed to be at the time, I think there are a lot of unresolved feelings there.”

 Frank nodded. “You’re right.”

 They were both quiet for a while longer.

 “You’re sure you don’t want to elope?” he asked hopefully.

 Nancy chuckled. “It’s too late, honey. We’re kind of committed to the formal wedding and reception at this point.”

 “I was afraid you’d say that.”


	7. Woods & Waifs

Joe grabbed Vanessa by the hand and started down the path. It was just like he remembered it, though it had been a few years since he’d traveled this way. He and Frank had cut many of the existing paths through the woods themselves.

“I forgot how much I used to love hanging out in these woods,” Joe said with a smile.

Walking slowly, he looked carefully at the ground and the foliage along the path. Bent leaves and trampled grass were abundant and it was impossible to tell whether it had been the intruder that had done it or one of the half dozen or so neighborhood kids that roamed the woods.

 Vanessa chuckled. “I don’t think you’re alone. Why weren’t the lots cleared?”

 Joe shrugged. “I think it was an effort to maintain some of the natural landscape. They formed the blocks in the neighborhood narrower than usual, and left the strip of trees through the middle. Mom and Dad said it was part of the reason they decided to buy here. We were still in the city, but the trees help make it feel less urban.”

 Kitty corner from his parents’ were the overgrown taxus bushes that bordered the back of the Arnolds’ yard. Crouching, Joe squeezed into the hollow area between two bushes that had grown together and found a set of foot prints. Looking back toward Van, he had a clear view of his folks’ yard, as well as the path which passed close by – almost too close.

 “Joe, what are you doing?” Vanessa stood out on the path. Her arms were crossed and brows furrowed as she squinted back toward his parents’ house.

 He ducked out of the bushes. “I’d say this is definitely where Will hid. And he said after the intruder passed he followed him back to the DeLeilos’. He’s lucky he didn’t get caught. Those bushes make pretty lousy cover.”

 “Maybe the intruder was distracted,” she said, and her head whipped around looking back toward his parents’ yard again. She shook herself and looked at him. “Will’s braver than I would have been. I know there are houses all around, but it feels so… lonely in here. And I keep thinking I hear something…”

 Joe chuckled. “Don’t let your imagination get the better of you, babe. Come on,” he said as he took her hand. “Let’s follow Will’s footsteps and see if we find anything interesting.”

 The path through the woods curved around between the houses, which were barely visible through the foliage on either side. Behind the next house they came to a fork in the path.

 Joe pulled her to the left. “That one leads over to Washington. DeLeilos’ is this way.”

 A couple minutes later they emerged in DeLeilos’ backyard. The large, kidney shaped, in-ground pool hadn’t been opened this year and was still covered. A screened in Florida room arched off the back of the two-story brick home, adjacent to an open flagstone patio, providing both covered and uncovered areas for sitting and observing the pool. Aside from border gardens around the pool and house, the backyard was wide open grass to the woods which bordered it in a broad arc.

 “Will must have followed the intruder across the lawn,” Joe said thoughtfully. “Otherwise he couldn’t have seen the car sitting in the drive.”

 “How could he do that without being seen?” Vanessa asked.

 Joe eyed the distance to the house. The path came into the yard about twenty feet from the garage, next to a thick row of overgrown lilacs that served as a living fence between DeLeilos’ and their neighbors, the Barristers.

 “If he kept in the shade of these lilacs, he probably could have stayed mostly out of sight,” Joe said thoughtfully as he walked along the edge of the yard.

 He stopped at the garage and looked around carefully, spying a broken bough low on one of the bushes. Dropping to his knees, he peered under the branches, and nodded.

 “I’m too big to do it, but I bet Will managed to shinny into the bushes here and make his way forward without being seen.” Joe crawled forward several feet until he could just see the drive, and then laid out flat under the bushes. “But if he stayed under cover, he probably couldn’t see much. Because of the curve in the drive and the odd angle of approach to the garage he would have been looking at the side of the car. Frank’s right, that’s why he couldn’t provide even a partial license plate number.”

 “Joe Hardy, aren’t you getting a little old to be crawling through the bushes?”

 Joe jumped to his feet and turned to face the man standing there. Lou DeLeilo was a small man, barely five foot four, and rotund. He had a ring of black hair but the top of his head was bald, shiny, and had a definite pink tint from being outside. Joe grinned and brushed his hands on his shorts before holding his right one out to the man.

 “I didn’t know you were in town, Lou! How the heck have you been?”

 Lou gripped Joe’s hand with a beaming grin. “Just in town to help Ma get the last of the stuff moved out. She wants me to talk to your brother about some of the bigger furniture. She doesn’t have room for it, and none of us want it. She thought maybe he and his wife might like to keep some of it.”

 “They might,” Joe said. “They’re moving from a small efficiency in Chicago, so I know they don’t have much furniture. Maybe Van and I could take some of it off your hands, too. We just bought over on Devonshire. Do you know what your mom wants for the stuff?”

 Lou waved a hand. “Nothing. If you or your brother can use it you can have it. If you don’t want it, I may just end up calling Goodwill, anyway.”

 “Cool,” Joe said and then turned to Vanessa. “Did you ever meet my fiancée, Vanessa?”

 Lou smiled. “I think we’ve met before. Nice to see you, Vanessa. You must be one brave lady to take on this character as a husband.”

 “Brave or foolish,” Van agreed with a laugh.

 “So,” Lou said. “Knowing you as long as I have, I’m kind of afraid to ask, but – why _were_ you crawling through the lilacs?”

 Joe shrugged and related what had happened, and what Will had seen.

 “Will and Kody must be taking over for you and Frank as the neighborhood snoops, huh?” Lou said with a smile, and then sobered. “That is pretty upsetting though. You say the guy was parked in this drive? He must have known the house was empty, then.”

 “Yeah, that’s what we figure,” Joe said. “Did it look like anyone had been inside the house?”

 Lou motioned to the front door. “You’re the detective. You tell me.”

 Joe followed Lou across the drive and up the curving front walk to a broad set of steps. The house was wide for a two-story, and had a one-story addition that jutted out and formed an ‘L’ with the main structure. The garage was deeper than the house, too, and in the area between the garage and addition was the front door, with a covered porch that was at least six feet wide and stretched the entire twenty-five foot distance.

 Lou stepped aside on the porch, and Joe stooped to examine the door knob. He stood almost immediately.

 “There are definitely fresh scratches. It looks like someone recently jimmied this door open. Did you enter this way, Lou?”

 “No, I went in through the garage,” Lou said.

 Joe pulled out his phone as he started down the steps. “We’ll do the same, then. I’m going to call Con and let him know what we found. Do you mind if we go inside and look around?”

 “Of course not. Come on.”

 “Joe,” Vanessa took his arm as they followed Lou into the garage. “Do you think the intruder was inside the DeLeilos’ house? Why in the world would they do that?”

 “Maybe we’re dealing with a common thief?” Joe suggested. “I don’t know. To be honest, there are a lot of things about these break ins that don’t add up.”

 The garage entrance led straight into the kitchen, where a box sat on the counter.

 Van put a hand on the box. “Looks like you’re still moving some smaller stuff, too.”

 “Most of the boxed stuff is already gone. I found that in the cupboard. Lord knows why Mom stuck it down there. It’s a good thing I checked.”

 Joe followed Lou through to the dining room. Lou motioned to the handsome table and buffet set.

 “Don’t need these, do you?”

 Joe shook his head. “Nope, Van and her mom already have our dining room outfitted.”

 “Maybe your brother can use them,” Lou said. “All us kids have been in our own homes for a while, except Lonnie, and he doesn’t have any interest in settling down. Nobody really has room for this stuff, but I would love to see someone get some use out of it.”

 Vanessa stood in the doorway between the kitchen and dining room. “How many siblings do you have, Lou?”

 “There are six of us altogether. Let’s see, Lonnie’s the youngest –”

 “And wildest,” Joe interjected.

 “And wildest,” Lou agreed with a smile. “He’s just a couple years older than Frank, right?”

 Joe nodded. “And Lucy was only another year older than Lonnie. She was a senior when I was a freshman.”

 Lou shook his head and laughed. “Yeah, Lucy was a surprise, let alone Lonnie – you’d think by the time Mom and Dad were in their forties they would have figured out where babies came from, huh?”

 “Forties?” Vanessa asked.

 “Mom was thirty when she had her first kid and we were spaced probably a couple years apart – you do the math,” Lou said, grinning. “So it goes, Lonnie, Lucy, Larry, Lance, me, and Leah.”

 “Wow. And your parents’ names are?” Van asked with a raised eyebrow.

 “Olivia and Ronald – disappointing, huh?” Lou grinned. “Mom had a thing about alliteration, I guess.”

 They chatted as they walked through the rest of the house. Unfortunately, their tour didn’t reveal anything out of place. Lou pointed out more large pieces of furniture that didn’t have a home, including his parents’ bedroom set, a large armoire, and a bulky entertainment center.

 They ended back in the kitchen. Lou looked at Joe and shrugged. “It doesn’t look like they took anything… but then there really wasn’t anything to take. I wonder why they broke in.”

 “I don’t know,” Joe said. “The whole thing seems really weird.”

 Lou picked up the box from the kitchen counter, but the clank of bottles stopped him. “What the heck does Mom have in here?”

 He opened the box and began sorting through the contents, his tone perplexed. “Wine. Champagne. Sparkling grape juice. What the heck?”

 Vanessa looked into the box, and then looked at Joe with raised eyebrows. “I think we may have just found why the intruder broke in, Joe. But it wasn’t to _take_ anything.”

 “Huh?” Joe leaned down to look at an address label on the box and grunted. “Well, I’ll be damned. It’s the missing drink samples.”

 “Exactly. The intruder must have brought them in here and left them,” Vanessa said.

 Joe stared at the samples, his mind whirling with half-formed theories.

 “Must have. The real question is – why?”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Forty-five minutes later, Vanessa was standing in the drive half-listening to Joe’s conversation with Con Riley. She was ready to head to the Hardys’ and get back to work, but she was hesitant to walk through the woods alone. The fact that the intruder that had attacked Nancy had walked that path was enough to give her the willies.

 She stepped around the end of the garage to take a closer look at the huge cluster of black-eyed susans that were growing there. She was sure Nan wouldn’t mind her lifting some to take back to their new home on Devonshire. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement in the lilacs. Turning, she found herself looking into the eyes of a young girl, no more than ten or eleven years old.

 “Hello?” Vanessa called softly, moving toward the lilacs.

 “I told you to stay still.”

 The voice was that of a much taller second girl that materialized from behind the one that Vanessa had spied. Both stepped out of the shadow of the bushes, the smaller girl following meekly behind the taller girl, who Van immediately recognized as Keely Jenks.

 Keely was tall for her age and skinny to the point of being bony. Her curly, sand-colored hair was cropped short, and sprung around her head in unruly curls. Freckles sprinkled her upturned nose as well as her rosy pink cheeks. She had large, hazel eyes that sparked with spirit and intelligence.

 “You caught us,” Keely said despondently and Vanessa stifled a laugh.

 “And hello to you, too. I know Keely,” Vanessa said smiling at her before turning to the other girl. “But I don’t think I’ve met you.”

 “I’m Megan Ross. I live right across the street.”

 She pointed to a white two-story just visible through the gap in the privet hedge. It was directly across Maple from the DeLeilos’ house. _Soon it will be Frank and Nancy’s house_ , Vanessa corrected herself silently.

 Megan was at least a foot shorter than Keely, with long brown hair pulled back in a braid and brown eyes that were currently wide with alarm or embarrassment, one of the two.

 “What were you girls doing?” Vanessa asked.

 “We were following you,” Megan said.

 Keely nudged her hard enough to make her stumble to the side. “You aren’t supposed to tell.”

 Van chuckled. “It’s alright. You were in the woods behind the Hardys’ house, too, weren’t you?”

 Both girls nodded.

 “And then you followed Joe and me over here?”

 Again, solemn nods met Van’s question.

 “Why?”

 Keely shot a quelling look at Megan and then cleared her throat. “We overheard Joe tell you that Will said he was on the path when he saw _the man_ that broke into the Hardys’. I, uh, I thought he told Detective Riley he was riding down Maple. Did he really change his story?”

 “Yes. Frank, Joe’s brother, talked to Will,” Vanessa said. “Frank made Will understand how important it is to tell the police _the truth_. So, Will came clean, and told Frank and Detective Riley about what he saw and from where.”

 A distant voice could be heard calling, “Megan!”

 “That’s my mom,” Megan said. “I gotta go. I’ll see you later, Keely, ok?”

 Not waiting for an answer, Megan took off running down the drive and across the street.

 “Vanessa?” Joe appeared and raised an eyebrow at Keely. “Hey Keely. Where did you come from?”

 “The girls were following us through the woods, Joe,” Vanessa said.

 “Really? Wow, I didn’t even notice you. That’s pretty good surveillance, there.”

 Keely dug her toe into the ground with a mumbled, “But Vanessa caught us. Couldn’t have been that good.”

 “Van has super-human hearing, Keely,” Joe said with a grin. “Don’t let the fact that she caught you bother you.”

 “Keely was asking if Will had told the truth about being in the woods when he saw the intruder.”

 Joe nodded. “He did. He even called Detective Riley and told him everything.”

 “That he saw a skinny _man_ getting into a beige car?” Keely asked.

 “That’s what he said, yes,” Joe’s eyes narrowed.

 “Well… that’s good, then,” Keely said quietly, her eyes shifting from Joe’s direct gaze.

 “Yeah, it’s always best to tell the truth.” Joe studied Keely for a few seconds and then turned to Van. “You know what, babe, I’ll be done in just a few minutes. If you want to head home, I’ll catch up to you shortly. Maybe Keely would walk with you – I know the woods make you nervous.”

 Joe turned his back to Keely and put a hand on Vanessa’s shoulder. Leaning in he gave her a kiss on the cheek and whispered in her ear, “Talk to her. She knows something.”

 Looking over his shoulder at Keely, Joe said, “See you later, Keely. Take good care of Van for me, huh?”

 As Joe disappeared around the front of the garage, Vanessa turned a smile on Keely.

 “So, Keely, when did you start spending time with Megan? I thought you usually hung out with Will and Kody.”

 “They’ve been real jerks lately,” Keely grumbled.

 She fell into step next to Vanessa who had started moving slowly toward the head of the path. Now that she realized it had been the girls following them, Van was far less nervous. But she _was_ glad Keely was walking with her.

 “How were they being jerks?”

 Keely crossed her arms. “They started following Frank’s girlfriend… uh, fiancée around everywhere she went. They said they were practicing surveillance, but I know they were only doing it because they thought she was hot. I mean, she’s pretty, but I didn’t think she was all _that_ pretty. I really don’t get boys.”

 “Yeah, well, I’ll let you in on a secret. They weren’t doing a great job of surveillance, because Nancy saw them following her around. I think you might like Nan if you got to know her, Keely – she’s a detective just like Frank and Joe.”

 “Really?” Keely’s eyes went wide with interest. “That’s so cool.”

 Vanessa nodded and put a friendly arm around the girl’s thin shoulders. “And you aren’t alone in not getting boys, sweetie. Because boys turn into men, and trust me – they don’t get any easier to understand.”

 “I told them it was stupid, but they wouldn’t listen. Anyways, that’s when I started hanging out with Megan. But she doesn’t like doing the things I like to do. I really miss Will… and Kody.”

 “So, Will and Kody like to do the same things you do… like pretending to be detectives?”

 Keely’s hazel eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. “We’re _real_ detectives, we don’t pretend. Will and I found Mrs. Anderson’s lost wagon just last week. And we were the ones that figured out who was setting the trash cans at the park on fire this past spring, too. Just ask Detective Riley.”

 Vanessa had to take a deep breath to stop from laughing. She had a feeling Keely wouldn’t appreciate it. It was obvious the girl was serious about being a detective. It was also obvious that she was just a tad hung up on Will Simes.

 “Wow. I didn’t know that. You’re really following in Frank and Joe’s footsteps, huh?”

 Keely’s full mouth broke into a spontaneous smile. “Yeah, just like Frank and Joe… and Nancy, I guess.”

 “Pretty cool,” Vanessa said. She let a few beats of silence pass, and then chanced a question. “So, the day of the break in at the Hardys’ – did _you_ see anything?”

 Keely bit her lip. “Like I told Detective Riley, I was home when Kody got there. He told me that he and Will had seen Nancy come home.”

 “What did you do then?” Vanessa asked, already suspecting the answer.

 Keely sighed. “Well, Kody told me that Will planned to ride around the block and follow the path through the woods back to the Hardys’. It made me so mad…”

 The girl’s voice trailed off into silence, her eyes shifting uneasily.

 Vanessa said, “It made you so mad that you went to retrieve Will, didn’t you?”

 Nodding sheepishly, Keely said, “Yeah. I planned to give him a real good talking to about being a creepy peeping tom. I left my bike on Washington and ran down the path. But by the time I got to the fork, Will was already headed down the path toward DeLeilos’. That seemed weird, so I followed, but I went through the woods, and in through the Barristers’ lawn. I saw Will head back down the path a few minutes later, but I didn’t follow him.”

 “So you stayed and watched the intruder leave?”

 “Yeah…” Keely paused and then said in a rush, “and I saw her take off the ski mask.”

 “Her?” Vanessa asked in surprise.

 “Yeah. I couldn’t see her real good, but she had long, blonde hair.”

 “You’re sure it was a woman?”

 “Positive.”

 Vanessa stopped where the path came out into the Hardys’ lawn. She turned and put her hands on the girl’s shoulders.

 “Did you tell Detective Riley about this, Keely?”

 Keely crossed her arms with a harrumph, her young face set in a stubborn scowl. “He didn’t _ask_ me. So no, I didn’t tell him.”

 Vanessa put a hand over her mouth and coughed to hide the snort she couldn’t quite stifle. It took her a few seconds before she could control herself enough to cast a stern look at the girl.

 “Keely, you know what I’m going to ask you to do, right?”

 Keely sighed and nodded, her shoulders sagging.

 “Go tell Detective Riley what I saw.”

 Vanessa gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder and an encouraging smile.

 “And show him just what a good detective you are in the process.”

 Keely’s face transformed as a beaming smile lit it.

 “Yeah!”


	8. Bitterness & Blames

The chug of the tractor awakened Frank from a light slumber. Glancing down, he smiled softly at his fiancée, fast asleep cradled in his arms. He gently brushed the strawberry blonde tendrils of hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.

 “Hey, sweetheart, I think our ride is here,” he said softly.

 “I don’t want to go.”

 Frank chuckled at the petulance evident in Nancy’s tone.

 “My offer of elopement still stands.”

 Finally, Nancy’s eyelids fluttered open and he lost himself in her eyes. Her lips curved in a slight smile and she reached up for a kiss. Frank was more than happy to oblige.

 The sound of a camera shutter clicking in rapid succession startled the couple apart.

 “Liz!” Chet sounded uncharacteristically angry. “Why’d you have to go and do that?”

 Frank stood and pulled Nancy to her feet.

 Liz shrugged. “It was a great picture – with the picnic basket in the foreground and the pond in the background. It’ll be the perfect photo for promoting your new picnic lunches.”

 Chet grimaced and turned to Frank and Nancy. “I’m really sorry about that. Liz won’t use the photo if you don’t want her to…”

 Frank glanced down at Nancy, who smiled.

 “It’s alright, Chet,” she said. “It was just a bit of a surprise. If it helps with promoting the new program, we don’t care – do we, Frank?”

 “No, it’s fine.”

 “In fact, I would highly recommend these little vineyard getaways,” Nancy said, beaming. “It’s been such a relief to escape for a while. The setting was perfect – I really enjoyed the serenity.”

 “And the food was incredible,” Frank added.

 “As was the wine,” Nancy said.

 Liz’s smile was genuine when she looked at them. “Can I quote you on that?”

 “Absolutely!” Nancy and Frank said in unison.

 As the laughter subsided, Chet turned a broad smile on Nancy and Frank.

 “I’m glad that Bayside Vineyards could help you escape the wedding prep craziness for a while. It sounded like you both really needed it.”

 “It’s a little nuts at Mom and Dad’s right now,” Frank said. “I almost hate to go back.”

 Liz’s smile had faltered and her tone was all business a moment later as she said, “I need to get back, Chet. And I’ll need both of you to sign a release for the photo.”

 “Sure,” Frank said.

 “Not a problem,” Nancy agreed.

 “Yes, well… thank you,” Liz said stiffly. “Now can we go?”

 “The bus is waiting,” Chet said with forced cheerfulness. “I need to get back to the farm to meet the guys and get stuff ready for the bachelor party tonight, anyway.”

 On the ride back to the barn Frank was glad for the rumble of the tractor. The noise made conversation difficult so the lack of talk felt less awkward.

 Liz jumped off the wagon before it even came to a full stop. “I’ve gotta get going, Chet. I hope I’m not late for my next appointment.”

 Chet hopped down, too, and turned to face the reporter. “Thanks for coming out, Liz. I hope you got everything for the spread – Gabe and I really appreciate it. Just give me a holler if you need anything else.”

 Liz shook Chet’s hand and said solemnly, “I will, um, thanks for the samples and the food – it was really good.”

 “Did you need us to sign releases?” Nancy asked.

 Liz glanced at Nancy, irritation evident on her face, and then looked at her watch.

 “I suppose I should. But I really do need to get going. Come inside and I’ll grab my bag and get the forms.”

 As Liz rushed off, Frank turned to Chet. “Thanks a million, bud. That really was just what we needed.”

 Nancy stepped forward and gave Chet a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

 “You have no idea just how much!” she said. “It was almost like a little mini-vacation. I think you and Gabe have a great place here, Chet.”

 Chet grinned. “Thanks. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully, that full-page spread in the paper along with the other recognition we’re getting will help drum up some more business.”

 “Certainly can’t hurt,” Frank said. “Are you advertising, too?”

 “Yeah, but it’s taking time and money to figure out what works. I sure am glad I took those business classes at community college –” Chet gave a self-deprecating snort. “I never thought _I’d_ be glad to go to school. My marketing prof even came out and helped us flesh out our marketing plan, which was a huge help.”

 “Are you two coming?”

 All three of them turned toward the barn, where Liz stood, hands on hips, glaring at them.

 Frank turned back to Chet.

 “I guess that’s our cue,” he said. “I’ll see you in a couple hours, Chet. Thanks, again!”

 While Chet got back on the tractor, Nancy and Frank headed into the barn. Inside, Liz stood at the bar, her pen tapping the surface in time to her foot tapping on the floor.

 Frank had to hide his amusement at the brave smile Nancy pasted on her face as she approached the obviously-fuming reporter. He had always admired Nan’s doggedness about facing difficulties head on.

 It was too bad neither of them had done that in their personal relationships – maybe they could have avoided some of this kind of unpleasantness. But Frank was sure Nan was right – it was just going to take some time for his friends to get used to the two of them together. They would come around eventually, of that much he was certain.

 Taking the pen from Nancy, Frank signed where Liz pointed. She snatched the pen from his hand with a curt, “Thanks.”

 “It was good to see you, Liz,” Frank said cheerfully as he put an arm around his fiancée.

 “Yes,” Nancy said with a warm smile. “It was really nice finally getting to meet you, Liz.”

 Liz hesitated, her eyes shifting from one grinning face to the other.

 “Yes, well, I… I really have to get going.” She stooped and shoved the papers and pen into her case and then stood and looked at Nancy with a tight smile. “I suppose I’ll see you tonight, Nancy.”

 “At the bachelorette party,” Nancy said. “Yes, of course. I’ll see you there.”

 Liz gave a stiff nod. “Yes. Well… goodbye.”

 As the front doors closed behind the reporter, Nancy heaved a sigh and looked up at Frank.

 “Yeah, I think tonight is going to be tons of fun,” she said grimly. “It pains me to admit that Joe was right. I _am_ going to be like fresh meat in front of a pack of coyotes.”

 Frank put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “You’re an incredibly strong and brave woman, sweetheart. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think they’ll all behave like Liz – she’s a good friend of Callie’s and has been pretty cool to me ever since the break up. Not only that, but I’m sure if they do behave badly, Vanessa will set them straight. You’ll be fine.”

 “That’s easy for you to say,” Nancy said.

 Leaning down, Frank planted a light kiss on Nancy’s pouting lips, and then gave her a teasing smile.

 “You could come to the bachelor party instead.”

 Nancy’s mouth set in a thin line and she put her hands on her hips. The narrow look she cast at him was offset by the amused sparkle in her beautiful blue eyes.

 “You’re tempting me again, Hardy.”

 Frank couldn’t resist any longer. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her feet off the floor. Nancy’s face broke into a warm smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed lightly and then embraced. Frank pressed his lips to her ear and nipped at the lobe before whispering into it.

 “No more than you tempt me every single second, Drew.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe was anxious to share what he and Van had learned about the series of break ins. His patience was wearing thin by the time Frank and Nancy got back to his parents’ house at nearly three in the afternoon. That had given Joe a lot of time to mull over the facts they had gathered.

 He knew Frank wasn’t going to like the way his thoughts were headed, either. There was one glaring commonality in all three of the break ins – his brother.

 In fact, taking the missing marriage license into consideration, everything seemed more specifically to point to his brother’s wedding.

 As soon as Frank and Nan walked through the door, Joe was there, relating the facts, as well as his theory. He was surprised when his brother didn’t immediately shoot the idea down.

 “I don’t want to believe it,” Frank said. “But the drink samples do throw a new light on the whole situation.”

 “And the fact that the intruder was a woman,” Joe said.

 “A blonde woman with a heck of an arm,” Nancy said, fingering the lump on her head thoughtfully.

 Vanessa had arrived part way through the conversation. “Do you really think someone is trying to screw up the wedding?”

 Joe pressed his lips into a thin line. “More specifically, I think someone is trying to screw up Frank and Nan’s wedding.”

 Vanessa crossed her arms. “Well, they’re messing with ours in the process. It’s starting to tick me off.”

 “Me, too.” Frank and Nancy echoed Joe’s sincere agreement with his fiancée.

 Vanessa’s pretty face was pinched with worry. “I hate to even think it, but you don’t suppose Callie –”

 “It couldn’t be Callie,” Nancy said firmly. “She was at your house when I was knocked over the head. Did Keely say she could identify the woman if she saw her again?”

 “Unfortunately, she only saw the intruder from the side at a distance,” Vanessa said. “And she was looking through the bushes, so her view was obstructed. She did say her hair was long, reaching down to the middle of her back. She also said it was a really light blonde, not brassy or dishwater. Other than that and the fact that she was model-thin, Keely couldn’t give much of a description.”

 “Long blonde hair, model-thin…” Nancy glanced at Frank. “Sounds kind of like Liz Webling.”

 Frank shook his head. “Liz can be a real pain in the butt, but I just can’t see her doing something like this.”

 “Dani and Gabby Lawrence both have long, almost white-blonde hair, too,” Vanessa said thoughtfully.

 “Oh, good grief,” Frank said. “Why in the world would Dani and Gabby care about me getting married to Nan?”

 Van shook her head and gave Frank a tolerant smile. “Dani was head over heels for you all through high school, Frank. That’s part of the reason she and Callie never got along that well. I swear you are so oblivious sometimes.”

 Frank rubbed his hands down his face and shook his head. “High school? Really?”

 “I don’t know, bro,” Joe said. “Dani always was kind of weird. Her sister Gabby was ok, but Dani definitely came from the murky side of that particular gene pool.”

 Van smirked at him. “You _would_ think Gabby was ok – after all, she’s had the hots for you for years!”

 Joe couldn’t resist the chance to get in a good jibe at both his brother and his fiancée. He gave them a smug smile.

 “ _And_ she obviously has better taste than Dani.”

 Van stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re just lucky I know you love me, Joseph Hardy.”

 Wrapping his arms around her, Joe planted a kiss on her cheek. “You know it, babe! Gabby Lawrence can’t hold a candle to you, anyway.”

 Meanwhile, Nancy was looking at his brother, arms crossed and eyebrows elevated. “Are there any other lovelorn women from your past that I’m going to have to wrestle for you, Frank?”

 “Don’t start, Drew.” The unamused look Frank shot at Nancy made Joe laugh.

 Nancy grinned and rubbed Frank’s back. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist, honey.”

 Frank’s expression darkened. “I’d laugh about it too. The problem is that when they stole our wedding bands and knocked you unconscious it was no longer funny. Whoever is doing this needs to stop.”

 Joe’s smile faded. His brother had a very good point. He gave Frank an encouraging cuff on the shoulder. “Con’s on the job, bro.”

 Van gave a little shrug, “And we’ll have all the suspects here tonight for the bachelorette party.”

 Frank looked at Nancy, his expression still brooding. “Maybe you _should_ come to the bachelor party tonight, sweetheart. It might be safer.”

 “I am not going to be frightened away from my own bachelorette party by some lovelorn… chick that has a crush on my fiancé.”

 Nancy’s brows were furrowed and her expression was nearly as dark as his brother’s. Joe chuckled, and two sets of angry eyes turned on him. He gave them both a grin.

 “Ah, come on. Lighten up. I, for one, would back Nan against any one of the girls that might be trying to screw with you. In fact, I think I might pay to see her take Dani down.”

 With a shake of her head, Nancy said, “I am not going to play into your cat fighting fantasies, Joe.”

 “Ah, come on, Nan. Please?”

 Joe folded his hands as if in prayer and batted his eyes at his soon-to-be sister-in-law. He was rewarded with a slight upward twitch at the corner of Nan’s mouth, though the raised eyebrows hinted that he was pushing his luck.

 Frank stepped between Joe and his fiancée. “I’m going to do you a big favor and save your life, little brother. Come on. It looks like Dad and Carson could use some help moving the picnic table.”

 Joe glanced sideways at Frank as the brothers walked away from their fiancées. The furrowed brow and grim set to his mouth indicated that Frank was still upset by the new twist in the evidence. Joe gave him a soft slug on the shoulder and tried improving his mood with a lighthearted crack.

 “Come on, Frank, admit it. Wouldn’t it be just a little… cool to have a couple women fighting over you?”

 Frank shook his head. “There’s only one woman I care about right now. Whoever is doing this is screwing with her happiness and it’s really starting to piss me off.”

 Joe’s expression sobered and he draped an arm over his brother’s shoulders.

 “Yeah. Me, too, bro. Me, too.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

Nancy stood in front of the dresser in the guest bedroom staring into the mirror, but not really seeing anything. She had showered and changed into a nice set of khaki shorts, paired with a royal blue, short-sleeved button down layered over a white tank top. The clothes were fine, her hair, not so much.

 She sighed. She wasn’t looking forward to this party tonight at all.

 “Hey, honey.”

 Her father’s soothing voice greeted her from the open door of the bedroom.

 She turned and smiled at him, but the smile felt strained.

 “Hi, Daddy.”

 His head tilted to the side and he moved into the room. “Are you ok, Nancy?”

 “I guess I’m a little nervous about tonight – meeting all of Van’s friends,” she admitted.

 Her father was one of the few people she felt like she could talk to about what was going on without censoring herself for one reason or another. She trusted him to listen and provide a thoughtful, even-handed evaluation of what she said without being judgmental.

 He cupped her face and smiled gently. “You’re nervous about meeting Vanessa’s friends? That doesn’t sound like my little girl.”

 With a rueful smile, Nancy patted her father’s hand and turned away, walking to the window that looked over the backyard.

 “It’s just that, nearly every time I meet another one of ‘the gang’ that Frank hung with here in Bayport, it is abundantly evident that they view me as an interloper. I can’t seem to get past the fact that I’m not Callie.”

 She felt her father’s hands on her shoulders and took comfort in the touch. He pressed his lips to the back of her head gently, narrowly missing the lump that was a constant reminder of the unpleasantness of the last couple days.

 “Personally, I wouldn’t want you to be Callie, honey,” her father’s voice was vaguely amused. “I’m sure Frank doesn’t want that, either. As for his friends, they probably like you just fine.”

 Nancy turned and looked at him, shaking her head. “No, Dad, they don’t. They look at me like I’m stealing Frank away from them. Like I’m some kind of horrible, man-stealing… tramp. I hate it.”

 Her father raised an eyebrow at her. “And you don’t think you could be… overreacting just a little?”

 “I wish I was,” Nancy said sullenly.

 Her father put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Frank loves you very much, Nancy. It’s evident every time he looks at you. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I find it difficult to believe that his friends can’t see how happy you make him. It’s just taking them a little time to adjust to seeing Frank with you rather than Callie. That’s all there is to it.”

 “I suppose,” she finally conceded. “Part of it is probably my own guilty conscience getting the better of me.”

 “You aren’t _guilty_ of anything, honey,” her father said, looking down into her eyes with a knowing smile. “Unless you can be guilty of falling in love –”

 “That’s just it, Dad. I’m looking back over the last few years from this new perspective. And I can see now that I’ve had strong feelings for Frank for quite a while.”

 “And he for you,” her father said certainly.

 “Yes. But I was so deeply in denial about it that I hurt other people as a result, Dad. It wasn’t fair to either Callie or Ned for me to try to ignore how I felt about Frank. Especially after Egypt.”

 Her father was quiet for several seconds, during which time his face took on what Nancy had come to call his ‘closing arguments’ expression. His blue eyes were open wide, as if hiding nothing, his face set in a confident but gentle smile.

 “I think the person you hurt the most in all of this was yourself, Nancy. Let me pose this scenario for you to consider. Suppose, for a moment, that you went back in time. That you and Frank decided to act on the feelings that you both recognized in Egypt rather than coming back home and trying to make it work with Ned and Callie. Would that really have made any difference to Ned and Callie? Those relationships still would have ended, albeit sooner, and you and Frank would still be together.”

 Nancy paused to think about what her father had said. He was right. “But still…”

 “Just do me a favor and think about it, ok?” He gave her a light kiss on her nodding forehead. “Truthfully, I don’t think that it’s as bad as you perceive. You need to relax and enjoy yourself tonight. Ok?”

 Nancy smiled. “I’ll try, Dad.”

 “That’s all I ask.” Her father stepped back and grinned. “As for myself, I am going to escape with Fenton for a while. I just wanted to stop up and say good night before we left. Enjoy your evening, honey.”

 As her father walked out of the bedroom, Nancy turned back and gazed out the window. Frank strode into view, walking up to his brother and gripping his shoulder to get his attention. Just seeing him from a distance put a smile on her face. As she watched, he and Joe both disappeared into the house. But the smile remained as Nancy allowed her thoughts to focus around the man that she had fallen hopelessly in love with.

 In two short days, all going as planned, they would be taking a vow of forever in front of their friends and family. Even if all didn’t go as planned, the fact was that she and Frank were already fully committed to each other, anyway. Nothing anyone could do would change that.

 The only thing that the shenanigans of the last couple days were serving to do was irritate her, and that was because she was letting them. She needed to remain focused on the fact that she and Frank would be married after Saturday – no matter what annoying little stunts might be pulled in the meantime. The thought helped calm her mind, body and soul.

 “Hey, sweetheart.”

 Her face was set in a content, happy smile when she turned to face Frank. In three long strides he was across the room and scooped her up in his arms, his lips meeting hers in a warm kiss.

 “Mmm, that’s what I needed,” he said as he loosened his hold and looked down into her face.

 She ran a thumb along his strong jaw and smiled. “Me, too.”

 He lowered his head for another kiss, and Nancy wrapped her arms around his shoulders, parting her lips and allowing the kiss to deepen, as it naturally did. She lost track of time as Frank’s strong arms pulled her body tight against his.

 “I hate to break this up… ah, heck no I don’t,” Joe said from the doorway. “Come on, bro. We gotta go, already.”

 Frank’s arms had loosened their hold when his brother interrupted, but they didn’t let go. “I’m coming.”

 “Yeah, maybe, but are you going to actually leave for Chet’s with me?” Joe’s teasing grin was wide.

 Nancy lunged for a pillow on the bed, but by the time she got to it, Joe had pulled the door shut.

 “Missed!” Joe’s muffled voice sounded from just outside the door. “The clock’s ticking, bro. I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

 Tossing the pillow on the bed, Nancy turned and wrapped her arms back around Frank’s neck.

 “One of these days I really am going to have to hurt your brother.”

 Frank chuckled, “Get in line, Drew.”

 Her gaze softened as she looked into his warm, brown eyes.

 “You know you won’t be able to call me ‘Drew’ for much longer.”

 He smiled and kissed her nose. “You’ll always be Drew to me, even after you become a Hardy.”

 “Mrs. Frank Hardy,” Nancy said dreamily. “I like the sound of that.”

 “So do I,” he said as he started to lower his head.

 “Frank, for pity’s sake, how long does it take to say goodbye?” Joe bellowed up the stairs.

 “I’m coming!” He heaved a sigh, and gave her a quizzical smile. “Unless you’d prefer I stay?”

 “Hmm, don’t tempt me anymore today, Frank Hardy,” Nancy said, putting her hands flat against his chest. “You better get going. Chet and Biff have put a lot of effort into this bachelor party for you two.”

 Frank’s face sobered, and he cupped her chin in his hand. “Are you going to be alright tonight, sweetheart?”

 She turned and kissed his palm before pulling away. “I’ll be fine. You go and have a good time. Stop worrying. There will be too many of us around tonight for anything to happen. Besides, I’m on guard, now.”

 “You’re sure?”

 Crossing her arms, she turned an amused smile on him. “Honestly, Frank, you can be such a mother hen sometimes, you know that?”

 He smiled apologetically, and stepped closer, pressing his lips to her brow.

 “Try to have a good time tonight, Nan,” he murmured against her forehead.

 “I will,” Nancy said. “George is here, and Bess and Aunt Eloise should be arriving sometime soon. Rachel never even knew you when you were dating Callie, so she’s an impartial party. And I’ve already won over Vanessa. So it’s not like I don’t have anyone watching my back, tonight. It will be fine.”

 He nodded as he walked slowly toward the bedroom door. “Absolutely! I bet by the end of the evening, you’ll even have Liz Webling eating out of your hand.”

 Nancy laughed at the visual image that prompted. “I wouldn’t go that far, but maybe I’ll at least manage to get her to stop treating me like the enemy.”

 “That’s my girl,” Frank stopped at the door and looked back at her. “You’re sure you’ll be ok?”

 “Would you just go!”

 He blew her a kiss and disappeared down the stairs.

 Nancy walked back to the window. She watched as Callie arrived, dressed in an attractive sleeveless skorts coordinate in a pale blue flower print. Her blonde hair fell in soft shimmery waves down to the middle of her back. Callie and Vanessa wore matching smiles as they moved onto the deck arm in arm to meet Andrea, who had just walked in leading a woman who appeared to be a personal friend.

 Turning from the window, Nancy shoved her feet into her leather sandals. She bent to buckle the straps around her ankles and then stood and took a deep bracing breath.

 “You can do this, Drew. You have to face them eventually, anyway.”

 She turned and walked resolutely out the door.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 George snatched the oven mitt off the counter and hurried to silence the horrific noise that the timer was making. Unfortunately, she couldn’t figure out how.

 Laura hurried in and twisted the timer to turn the annoying alarm off.

 “That silly thing is not intuitive.” She glanced at the clock. “Andrea is heading out to get the cake and ice cream. I think I can manage the rest from here, George. Thanks for watching things while I changed.”

 “No problem, Laura,” George said. “Did you see Nan?”

 “I think she was just about ready. The girls should start arriving soon. When is Bess coming?”

 George couldn’t help the grimace that crossed her face. “She was supposed to be here this afternoon and she’s not answering her phone.”

 Laura patted George’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’ll be along. I can’t imagine Bess missing out on a party for Nancy.”

 George nodded, though she wasn’t nearly as confident as Laura sounded. Bess had been incredibly difficult to pin down lately – ever since she had met Phillip Colby.

 George didn’t even know Phillip that well, but she didn’t like him. He had caught her cousin up in his extravagant lifestyle to the point that Bess was ignoring her best friends. What really bothered her was the recognition that her reasons for disliking him were mostly selfish. But in this case it was about Nancy, she thought – and her self-righteous anger at her cousin flared again.

 Nancy came walking into the kitchen, her step light and a smile on her sun-kissed face. But George knew Nancy better than just about anyone, and she could see the tell-tale tightness around her friend’s eyes. She was glad Frank had given her a heads up about the cold shoulder Nancy had been receiving from some of his friends.

 Looking at George hopefully, Nancy asked, “Is Bess here yet?”

 George gazed at her friend, carefully schooling her expression into a calm smile. She suspected Nancy was looking for reinforcements, since Vanessa’s Bayport girlfriends were going to be present tonight – and since most of them were also friends with Callie.

 “Not yet, but I’m sure she’ll be here soon.” George turned to the drinks set out on the kitchen table. “Do you want me to get you something to drink?”

 “Nothing with alcohol,” Nancy said. “I want to be able to take one of those prescription pain relievers tonight before bed.”

 “How about a Shirley Temple then?”

 At her nod, George picked up a plastic cup and wrote Nancy’s name on it in permanent marker.  After filling the cup from a pitcher of the sparkling fruit drink, George handed it to her friend.

 “Thanks, George.” Nancy ran a hand through her hair. “This hair style makes me so self-conscious. It doesn’t look too bad, does it?”

 Laura chuckled. “Your hair looks adorable, Nancy, stop worrying about it.”

 Knowing Nancy wasn’t at all comfortable with the alternative hair style she had ended up with after losing a large chunk of hair to fire a couple weeks ago, George figured Laura’s words fell on deaf ears. George agreed with Laura, though – Nan could wear her hair any way she wanted and still look nice. George had learned early on that her own face looked much better when her dark hair was kept cropped fairly short. Besides, the low-maintenance cut suited her lifestyle just fine.

 The doorbell rang and Nancy set her drink down on the counter. “I’ll get it.”

 Less than a minute later a young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and surprising blue eyes walked into the kitchen, followed by Nancy. Laura turned and smiled brightly at her.

 “Jamie, it’s so nice to see you.”

 “Hello, Mrs. Hardy,” Jamie said politely.

 Laura motioned to the other side of the kitchen. “Callie and Vanessa are already out back.”

 George held out a hand and gave the new arrival a friendly smile.

 “Hi, I’m George. And you’ve already met Nancy. Can I get you anything to drink?”

 Jamie shook George’s hand limply. George didn’t miss the little grimace that contorted her mouth at the mention of Nancy. George managed to maintain the smile on her face, though she had an overwhelming urge to spit in the drink she poured for the woman.

 As Jamie disappeared out the back door, Laura turned to Nancy and George. “You two should go join them.”

 “We’ll help you finish up the snacks first,” Nancy said as the doorbell rang. “And I will go get the door, again.”

 When Nancy came back her Aunt Eloise and Rachel followed her into the kitchen, gifts in hand.

 “Do you need help, Laura?” Eloise asked.

 “I won’t turn down your help, Eloise, but really, everything is well in hand,” Laura said. “You girls should go out back and relax.”

 “Where should we put gifts?” Rachel asked, holding up two boxes wrapped in a colorful floral print.

 “There’s a gift table with a card basket out back,” George said.

 Rachel offered to take the gift bags in Eloise’s hands, too and headed outside.

 George caught Nancy before she left with the tray she was carrying. “The guest of honor is not supposed to help with the work.”

 “Vanessa is the guest of honor tonight, George,” Nancy said dismissively. “We had my main party last week in Chicago, remember? I just thought I’d start ferrying food out to the table. It’s no big deal.”

 “George is right, dear,” Eloise took the tray. “Laura and I can take it from here – you should both go out back and join in the fun.”

 The look of trepidation on Nancy’s face was pitiful. George put a hand on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “It’s ok, Nan, you aren’t alone.”

 Nancy flashed her a grateful smile. “You’re the best, George.”

 “I didn’t know you girls had a party last week,” Laura said.

 George nodded. “It was kind of last minute. Most of Nan’s friends weren’t going to be able to come until late Friday, if at all, so we... I decided to throw a little get-together in Chicago for everyone there. We held it at Mr. Drew’s house and Hannah handled the cooking for me.”

 Nancy chuckled. “It was really nice. Though I noticed that you didn’t invite Yvonne, George.”

 George made a face. Yvonne Whitney, one of Phillip’s best friends, had also become Bess’s new best friend. George had decided that personally, she didn’t really care for the young heiress. Mention of her _had_ given George an idea for getting in touch with Bess, though.

 “Hannah is such a God send,” Laura said. “I don’t know what Carson would have done without her all these years.”

 “No doubt about that,” Eloise chimed in.

 George nodded absently. “Hannah’s the best. I never could have pulled off that party last week without her.”

 Callie came walking in the back door. “I’m so sorry. I got caught up talking to Van and lost track of time. Can I help?”

 “Yes,” Laura said. “You girls can all help by getting out of the kitchen and letting Eloise and me finish up the food. It’s almost done. Callie, why don’t you get the drinks set up outside.”

 “Sure,” Callie said. “Do you have any trays left?”

 Nancy picked up a pan. “We can use these. Here, I’ll help.”

 She and Callie quickly transferred all of the drinks from the table onto two trays to carry them outside.

 Laura wagged a parting finger at them. “And do not even _think_ about coming back in here. Eloise and I have this under control.”

 George watched Nancy exchange an amused glance with Callie as they were walking out the back door. She decided her friend would be ok without her for at least a few minutes. Wiping her hands on a towel, she turned and put a hand on Laura’s arm to gain her attention.

 “I’m going to step out front for a minute. I need to make a phone call. If Nan asks, I’ll be right back.”

 George hurried out of the kitchen, one furious thought repeating in her head:

  _If Bess doesn’t get her sorry butt to Bayport tonight, I’m going to go home and kick it from Chicago to New York!_


	9. Opinion & Obstinance

Vanessa watched with interest as Nancy held the back door for Callie to come through, both of them carrying drink-laden trays. They were laughing quietly as they moved past her, toward the two tables they had pulled aside under the far tent.

 Rather than hauling the picnic tables back to the deck from the corner of the yard, they had decided to use a couple of the tables set up for the wedding and reception, to hold food and gifts for the bachelorette party.

 However, Van had insisted that Frank and Joe move the comfortable chairs back to the deck for tonight. That hadn’t made either of the brothers happy, especially considering that they had just moved the chairs to the back corner of the yard to make way for wedding preparations that morning on their mother’s orders. Joe had grumbled about the fickleness of the women in his life continuously until his departure for his bachelor party. Van smiled at the memory as she watched Callie and Nan stop at the end of the table set up for food.

 Vanessa overheard Callie comment to Nancy. “I’ve always been a little intimidated by Laura, to be honest.”

 With a solemn nod, Nancy responded. “No doubt – she holds her own against all three Hardy men _and_ Aunt Gertrude. She’s definitely a force to be reckoned with.”

 They set the trays down and their friendly conversation continued as they unloaded the drinks.

 Callie gave an exaggerated shudder. “Aunt Gertrude just scares the living daylights out of me.”

 Nancy chuckled. “Her bark is worse than her bite. Frank and Joe mostly ignore her, so I’ve always tried to follow suit. Unfortunately, I usually fail miserably. I think I need to learn from Laura – she doesn’t put up with Aunt Gertrude’s bullying at all. Fenton’s the only one who really tries to please her. But my dad says that’s mostly out of habit – and being her baby brother.”

 Callie was looking at Nancy in surprise. “You know, I never really thought about it until you said that. But  
I bet you’re absolutely right. How do you pick up on those kinds of things?”

 Van’s heart went out to Nancy at the nervous little smile she flashed at Callie. “My dad and Fenton are as close as two men can get and not be related. We spent a lot of time here off and on, and you get to know a family pretty well when you basically move in with them for extended visits.”

 “I would imagine,” Callie said.

 Blue eyes wide and fixed on Nancy, Callie’s gaze was indecipherable. Nancy shifted under the scrutiny, her cheeks coloring.

 “Sorry. Um, it looks like that’s everything. I’ll just take these trays back into the kitchen.”

 Picking up the empty tray from in front of Callie, as well as the one she had carried out, Nancy hurried inside. Callie watched until the door shut behind her, and then took a seat, next to Vanessa.

 Van gave Callie a narrow look. “Is everything ok?”

 “Of course,” Callie said.

 Tilting her head and trying to read her friend’s true feelings, Vanessa ventured, “Seems you and Nan were getting along pretty well...”

 A smile slowly curved her lips as Callie admitted, “It’s hard not to like her. I just… forget, sometimes, that she’s known the Hardys longer than I have. It’s a little weird, to be honest.”

 “Well, I think she’s kind of a little miss know-it-all, myself,” Jamie said.

 Vanessa sat forward and looked at Jamie where she sat on Callie’s other side. “Don’t. Just don’t. Nancy is my friend, and she’s Frank’s fiancée, and I am not going to have you being mean to her. Understood? We’re here to have a good time – all of us.”

 Callie nodded in agreement. “Nancy’s a very nice person once you get to know her, Jamie. She really is.”

 Jamie’s lips formed a thin line. “You heard her – she moved in with them when she visited. Made it easy for her to scheme to steal Frank right out from under your nose, Cal. I don’t know how either of you can stand it. And Vanessa, I thought you were Callie’s best friend.”

 Vanessa opened her mouth to respond, but Callie spoke first, her gaze and tone both sharp.

 “She didn’t scheme, Jamie. I was the one who broke up with Frank, remember? And I wouldn’t go back anyway – Sam is a wonderful man, and I’m lucky to be with him. Please, just let it go. We’re getting a little old for the high school angst and drama, don’t you think?”

 Jamie crossed her arms. “I’m just saying, Cal. You had one of the most eligible bachelors in Bayport. And then she came along –”

 “Actually, she was here long before me,” Callie said.

 “And she’s making sure she’ll be here long after you leave,” Jamie snapped.

 “Which is perfectly fine with me,” Callie replied.

 Rachel sat forward and looked at Jamie. “You know, I couldn’t help but overhear, and I have to say – you’re a very negative person, aren’t you? When I first met Frank at GWU, he was pretty broken up because Callie had left him. And he remained a steadfast bachelor for two years while he was doing his grad work – despite the fact that every warm-blooded female in our department threw herself at him. Seems to me, you’re trying to place blame where there is none.”

 “Nobody wins the blame game, anyway,” Callie said firmly.

 Jamie grumbled, “I am not a negative person. And that’s not what it looked like from where I was sitting. We all heard Frank talk about Nancy and the cases they worked together. I bet she was always there, in the background, undermining Callie and Frank’s relationship. You weren’t here to see it –”

 Jamie slammed her mouth shut as Nancy and George came out onto the deck together, followed closely by Liz Webling. Liz’s expression was almost as disagreeable as Jamie’s. Callie shook her head and cast an apologetic look at Vanessa.

 “I’m afraid this is all my fault,” she murmured.

 “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Vanessa said. “No more of the blame game, remember?”

 This had to be nipped in the bud. She absolutely refused to have her bachelorette party turn into a battlefield – let alone her wedding.

 Unfortunately, Vanessa wasn’t too sure exactly _how_ to stop that from happening.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe sank against the large log at his back and stretched his long legs toward the warmth of the bonfire with a contented sigh. The cold front that had brought the intermittent showers of the last few days had put a definite chill in the air.

 Thankfully, the drizzle that had accompanied the start of their bachelor party had disappeared and the fire had dried things out around it. The long rays of the setting sun were striking the bottom of the low-hanging clouds and reflecting in brilliant shades of orange and pink. 

 “This is the perfect bachelor party, guys. I really didn’t feel like hanging out at some strip club or bar for the evening.”

 How many nights had he and his friends spent around this bonfire pit at the Mortons’ farm on the outskirts of Bayport? Too many to count. But in recent years it hadn’t happened nearly often enough for Joe’s taste.

 Frank walked into the circle of the fire pit and cracked open a beer. He was starting to look more like himself after the ordeals of the last couple months. Several days of yard work at their parents’ had finally eliminated the sickly gray hue that his complexion had developed after that run-in with Bucciano. And he had relented and joined Joe at the barber a few days ago so that his brown hair was neatly trimmed. Now if Joe could just erase the lingering worry about the recent pranks.

 “Van and Nan probably would have lynched us if they found out we were going to a strip club anyway, little brother,” Frank said with a chuckle. “You’re right, though – it has been way too long since we got together like this.”

 Other murmurs of agreement echoed from the shadows around the blaze. Biff and Chet along with Tony Prito and Phil Cohen had been there since late that afternoon getting the fire blazing and setting up the tents and tables for the food. With unusual foresight, Chet had even set up the popup gazebo to shelter the food from the wet.

 “Is this it tonight?” Joe asked hopefully.

 Chet shook his head. “I expect quite a few people to kind of come and go. Most of the guys on our high school ball teams are planning to at least stop by sometime during the evening. But I told the majority of them that it wouldn’t start until nine,” he chuckled. “I didn’t want to have to feed ‘em all!”

 Popping the last of a cookie into his mouth, Chet gave a little sigh. He had shed a few pounds since high school – thanks to long, hard hours working on the vegetable farm with his father – but he still had an impressive girth. Joe figured sampling the wares at the vineyard café probably hadn’t helped.

 Chet’s shoulders had broadened considerably in the last couple years, though, which helped to balance out his waistline. His sandy blond hair was cut in the same flat top style he had always worn. The hair cut enhanced the square shape of his face, which was always set in a friendly, open expression.

 Joe’s attention was caught by Tony Prito, who said, “I ran into Sam Radley. He and Ethel just returned from a cruise to Alaska. He said to tell you guys he’d see you at the wedding. He looked beat.”

 With chiseled features, olive skin, dark eyes, and wavy dark hair, Tony just seemed to get better looking the older they got. The last few years working for his dad’s construction firm had toned his muscles and darkened his skin. According to Vanessa, Tony Prito was the most eligible bachelor in Bayport.

 The sound of a siren in the distance reached them and Phil gave a dry laugh, “Listen guys, they’re after us.”

 Phil elbowed Biff who choked on a swig of beer before gasping, “It wouldn’t be the first time, would it? Chief Collig would throw us in jail just for being friends with Frank and Joe if he thought he could get away with it.”

 Joe snorted. “Ain’t that the truth!”

 If any of their two friends were polar opposites, it was Phil and Biff. Phil was slight with a pleasant but serious face framed by brown hair. His brown eyes were now magnified behind black-framed glasses that had been an addition since high school. In contrast, blond-haired Biff was the proverbial jock, six foot three inches and muscle-bound with a handsome face set in a perpetual grin.

 “Look at the bright side, guys,” Phil said. “They can’t bust us for under-age drinking.”

 To their surprise the sirens came closer and closer until they found themselves bathed in the red and blue flashing lights of a Bayport Police car. As it came to a stop, the spotlight was turned on the group, bathing the bonfire in unnatural daylight.

 “What do you boys think you’re doing?” Chief Collig’s familiar bass boomed from behind the spotlight.

 “Having a bachelor party, sir,” Chet said.

 “Are those two trouble-making sons of Fenton Hardy here?”

 Joe scrambled to his feet and stood next to his brother.

 Frank grinned and moved toward the car, shading his eyes against the light. “If you came to have a beer with us, Chief, I hope you brought a designated driver.”

 “I brought Con but he probably doesn’t count.”

 “I thought you were _my_ designated driver,” came another familiar voice.

 “Damn short-timer,” the chief grumbled.

 Con snorted. “You got that right, boss.”

 The spotlight winked out and Bayport Police Chief Ezra Collig, a solidly built man with steel-gray hair, met Frank with an outstretched hand.

 “I had to at least stop by and see if the rumors I’ve been hearing were really true. You two found a couple of girls that are willing to take a vow of forever with you, huh?”

 “I know. Amazing, right?” Joe said with a cheeky grin as he shook the chief’s hand in turn.

 Con clapped him on the shoulder and responded, “Amazing isn’t the word I was thinking of... maybe more like a miracle.”

 “Hey, Chief, are you harassing my sons?”

 Their father strode into view, followed closely by Carson Drew.

 Joe’s father urged Carson forward. “Con, you’ve met Carson…”

 Con shook Carson’s hand. “Of course. It’s nice seeing you under better circumstances, Carson.”

 “But I don’t think you have, Ezra,” Fenton continued.

 “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” The chief shook Carson’s hand. “That break in was nasty business. How’s your daughter faring?”

 “She’s doing fine,” Carson said.

 “Even if she wasn’t, she’d tell you she was,” Joe said.

 Frank shifted and crossed his arms. “Have you gotten anywhere with the investigation?”

 Con shook his head. “If what your brother suspects is true, the perp probably _is_ at the bachelorette party.”

 “And you’re here,” Frank said flatly.

 “Well, I think Con would stick out like a sore thumb at a bachelorette party, kid,” Chief Collig said, giving Frank a soft cuff on the arm.

 “Char went,” Con said. “She’ll keep a close eye on that little filly of yours, Frank. Don’t you worry.”

 Frank’s stance relaxed. “Sorry. I guess I’m more worked up about the whole thing than I realized.”

 “There’s a big surprise,” Joe said with a snort. “Nan can take care of herself, bro. I really don’t think you need to worry about her.”

 “I can’t help it,” Frank said with a shrug.

 Frank’s future father-in-law put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Neither can I, son.”

 The chief looked at Carson curiously. “You hail from Chicago, right, Carson?”

 “Yes,” Carson said. “Though I am contemplating a move to the east coast.”

 “Carson’s being considered for a position in the AG’s office in DC,” Fenton said. “Between that and the wedding and... everything else, he’s been spending more time on the east coast than in Chicago, lately.”

 “I’d imagine it’s a bit of a blow to have your daughter moving so far away,” Chief Collig said.

 Carson chuckled. “Actually, it didn’t come as much of a surprise to me. Nancy really enjoys coming out to New York, either to see her aunt or visit Fenton and Laura and the boys. And Laura’s always made her feel at home in Bayport. I think that was particularly important to her after her mother… passed away.”

 “That may be, but I think Frank was more than willing to move to Chicago,” Fenton said, and then patted his son’s midriff with a chuckle. “I believe he was enjoying Hannah’s home cooking a little too much though!”

 “No more than Mom’s,” Frank said with a smile. “I get the impression Nan had her mind made up long before I moved to Chicago, anyway. And once she get’s something in her head…”

 “There’s no stopping her!” Joe said with a wide grin.

 “You got that right, Joe,” Fenton said. “That girl of Carson’s is as bull-headed as you sometimes.”

 “Hey!” Joe said.

 “Joe _is_ bull-headed.” Frank grinned. “But I prefer to think of Nancy as persistent and strong-willed.”

 “And _that_ is why I am comfortable entrusting you with my most precious daughter, Frank,” Carson said with a smile.

 “I appreciate that, sir.”

 “Way to suck up to the future father-in-law, Frank,” Con said.

 Chief Collig laughed. “That’s my ace detective talking there.”

 “He’s not yours for much longer, Ezra,” Fenton said.

 “Don’t rub it in. I probably could have convinced him to stay for a while longer if you weren’t so persistent about the after-retirement job offer,” the chief grumbled.

 “Let’s face it, Chief,” Con said. “Fenton is going to need help keeping these young whippersnappers he’s hiring in line.”

 Joe grunted. “I hope you’re talking about Frank and Nancy.”

 Con looked at Fenton. “I noticed that the job announcement was still posted. How many more investigators are you planning to hire?”

 Fenton said, “With Nancy and Frank on board things have changed significantly. They brought Riley Adams and ADA in Chicago into the mix. The association is definitely promising. I’m anticipating significant expansion of HI’s criminal investigative business and I need to staff up for it. Not to mention that my most trusted investigator along with my two newest hires are going to be gone for two weeks on their honeymoons.”

 Chet broke into the conversation. “I brought out some chairs. You’re all welcome to get something to eat and sit down.”

 Chief Collig waved a hand. “Thanks, son, but I should be going. Are you coming, Con?”

 "I’ll hitch a ride with Fen, Chief. Maybe stop out at the Hardys’ on my way home and check in with Char. I’ll see you tomorrow… I think.”

 “Freaking short-timer,” Collig grumbled again and then turned a grudging smile on Frank and Joe. “Have fun tonight, boys... but not too much.”

 They all settled around the fire as Chief Collig pulled away in the patrol car. In minutes Bryan’s Gremlin was pulling in the drive closely followed by another car, and another, as the Hardy brothers’ bachelor party went into full-swing.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Nancy looked in awe at the lights that twinkled amongst the white flower swags. It was like something out of a fairy tale and for the first time since they had returned to Bayport she began to get really excited for the wedding. The bachelorettes had worked for the last hour to put the decorations up inside the two large tents that would house the wedding reception, as well as doubling as seating for the wedding ceremony itself.

 They had started decorating, at Vanessa’s insistence, as soon as Liz Webling arrived. Having something constructive to do had made it easier to ignore the cold shoulder Nancy was receiving from nearly all of the Bayport natives.

 Vanessa, in her supervisory role, had made it a point to chat alone with each of her friends as they arrived. Nancy suspected that she warned them to be nice or go home. It seemed like a Vanessa kind of thing to do. Personally, Nancy was grateful. Veiled hostility she could deal with, but outright animosity tended to bring out the worst in her personality. She knew that wouldn’t help the situation any.

 Like Nancy, Vanessa was currently standing back and staring at the results of their labor. Callie stood by her side, with Jamie, Liz, Gabby, Dani, and a half dozen other young women gathered around.

 Van’s smile was broad. “It’s simply amazing. Thank you so much for helping us finish this chore, girls. I can’t believe how beautiful it turned out.”

 The girls gathered around Van cheered as they all clapped in agreement. Then Van and her group dispersed and began to head toward the food that Laura, Andrea and Aunt Eloise had laid out for them.

 Nancy smiled at the two young women that flanked her. Rachel and George had rallied around her and provided amazing moral support for the last couple hours. It had helped make her feel far less isolated and under siege. In fact, right now, Nancy was quite content.

 “It is… absolutely enchanting. Thank you so much.”

 Rachel clapped her hands quietly and bounced on the balls of her feet. “It is so cool, Nan! The wedding is going to be gorgeous! And I am getting so many _great_ ideas for my own. Oh, it just makes me want to start planning right away!”

 On Nancy’s other side, George grinned her approval. “I’m not big on frills, but I have to agree, the tents look amazing. I can’t wait to see them with all the other fresh flowers. It’s going to be awesome, Nan.”

 Nancy’s smile dimmed slightly. There was only one problem with this particular moment. “I just wish Bess was here to see it,” she murmured.

 George’s hand immediately went into her pocket and she pulled out her cell. “I’ve been trying, Nan,” she said, her tone an odd mixture of angry and apologetic.

 Looping her arms through George’s and Rachel’s, she turned them toward the food, her smile broadening again.

 “Bess is not your responsibility, George. I’m sorry I said anything. Let’s go get something to eat. All that work has me absolutely famished – not to mention thirsty!”

 By the time everyone at the party was settled with their food it was getting late. George returned and set her and Nancy’s cups near their chairs before taking a seat and accepting her plate from Nancy, who had held it while she was refilling their drinks.

 “The Shirley Temples are almost gone,” George said. “I guess you aren’t the only one shying away from the alcohol tonight, Nan.”

 “I, for one, am not,” Rachel said with a grin. “But I am taking it easy.”

 They talked idly as they ate. The party was arranged in loose groups all around the deck and patio.

 The slam of the back door closing was followed by the sound of two female voices. At first, Nancy thought more of Van’s friends had arrived and then realized she recognized the voices.

 “Bess is here!”

 She patted George’s arm and then jumped up from the lounge chair. Stopping abruptly, Nancy stood next to her chair swaying slightly.

 George had risen, and grabbed the arm Nancy had thrown out to steady herself. “Hey, Nan. Are you alright?”

 “Yeah, yeah,” Nancy said, willing her head to stop swimming. “I think I just got up too quickly.” She really had to remember not to move so fast until the bump on her head was fully healed.

 Looking toward the back door, Nancy realized Bess wasn’t alone. The first person to come into view was Yvonne Whitney-Mancini, only daughter and heiress to the Whitney Conglomerate empire. Nancy, Vanessa and the Hardy brothers had recently helped Yvonne’s husband, Gaetano Mancini, and she was unendingly grateful – in Nancy’s opinion, irritatingly so.

 Yvonne was dressed elegantly, as always, in a white strapless A-line dress, her golden hair falling over bare shoulders in shimmering waves. Nancy tried to hide her surprise as Yvonne swept toward her, putting delicate, jewel-laden hands on Nancy’s shoulders and kissing her cheeks – almost.

 “Nancy! It is so good to see you.”

 “Yvonne, I didn’t expect you,” Nancy stammered, hoping she didn’t sound rude. “How nice of you to make the trip.”

 “Well, Guy and I planned to fly out tomorrow evening to be here for the wedding, but when Bess and Phillip stopped by and then George called and told me about the bachelorette party for you and Vanessa tonight I simply had to come.”

 As much as Nancy didn’t want to be rude to the young heiress, she was anxious to greet Bess. She flashed Vanessa a grateful smile when she moved forward and took Yvonne’s hand in greeting, gently pulling her aside.

 “Yvonne, thank you so much for coming,” Vanessa said. “I’d like to introduce you to some of my friends from Bayport.”

 Bess smiled sheepishly at Nancy. “I’m sorry we’re late, Nan. Phillip was supposed to come with me but was tied up in meetings until dinner time. We dropped by to see Yvonne and Guy and Phillip kind of crashed and said he was just going to wait until tomorrow to fly into New York. By then it was too late to find a commercial flight, but Yvonne was kind enough to help me out...”

 Nancy smiled warmly at her friend, who was dressed as elegantly as Yvonne, in a salmon-colored jumper with pearl earrings and a matching pearl necklace. She wore her blonde hair pulled back in a flip, and her fingernails had been manicured in a traditional French tip.

 “It doesn’t matter, Bess,” Nancy said, embracing her. “I’m just glad you’re here now.”

 When Bess released her, Nancy felt a flush creep up her face, and her vision wavered. She turned and sat down, reaching down for her drink as George confronted her cousin.

 “It’s about time you got here,” George said. “Why haven’t you been answering your cell?”

 “I’m sorry, George,” Bess said. “I left my cell at Phillip’s and haven’t been back to get it.”

 “And you didn’t think to call?” George asked.

 Bess crossed her arms, her pretty face red, from anger or embarrassment, Nancy couldn’t be sure. For some reason, though, it struck her as incredibly funny. She started to giggle softly.

 “You could have gotten hold of me on Phillip’s cell,” Bess said.

 “Well, sorry, but I don’t happen to have _Phillip_ on speed dial,” George snapped. “Besides, I wouldn’t think you would require constant nagging to get you to come to your best friend’s bachelorette party!”

 Nancy snorted, and then covered her mouth. She put her drink down. Knowing the signs of an impending blow up between the cousins well, she knew she should do something. Unfortunately, when she tried to stand, she fell back into the chair. Bess and George were so intent on their argument they didn’t notice.

 “I told you what happened,” Bess said furiously. “Besides, I’m here now.”

 “Only because I called Yvonne,” George said through clenched teeth.

 Nancy managed to get her feet under her and stood. She lurched forward, and Bess and George caught her before she fell. Nancy started laughing.

 “See, gotcha t’stop,” Nancy slurred.

 “Nancy Drew,” Bess said in dismay, “are you drunk?”

 George looked at Nancy with a worried expression. “She’s been drinking Shirley Temples all evening, Bess. She shouldn’t be drunk.”

 Nancy sank to the ground at her friends’ feet, holding her head in her hands. “I don’ feel very good.”

 Crouching beside her, George put a hand on her shoulder. “Nancy, what’s wrong?”

 “I don’ know, George,” Nancy said. She looked up and George’s face swam in her vision. “My head feels thick…”

 “What’s going on?” Bess asked, hands on hips.

 Rachel appeared on her other side. “Would a pain reliever help, Nan?”

 Nancy started to shake her head and groaned. By now, most of the young women in the back yard had stopped their own conversations to watch what was happening. Vanessa rushed over accompanied by Andrea’s friend, Char, as Callie ran inside to retrieve Laura, Andrea and Eloise.

 “Nancy, is it your head?” Vanessa asked.

 Swallowing, Nancy looked up at Van with a wan smile. “Not sure. I seem to have a talent for ruining your parties. I… I think I should go to the hospital.”

 Callie came back out, followed by Laura, Eloise and Andrea. Char waved at Andrea.

 “Andrea, your car’s parked on the street. Why don’t you give your keys to Eloise so she can warm it up?”

 Andrea and Eloise disappeared inside the house.

 “Do you think I should call Con?” Laura asked.

 “I’ll call him,” Char said. “As soon as we get Nancy taken care of.”

 “What’s wrong with Nan?” Bess asked.

 “We should call Frank,” Van said.

 “No!” Nancy said forcefully, and then grimaced. That hurt, but she had to make sure they didn’t ruin Frank’s bachelor party with this. She continued more quietly, “Please, don’t call Frank. Please don’t.”

 Bess’s worried face swam into her line of vision. “Would someone tell me what’s wrong with Nancy?”

 Char stood. “It could be something related to the head trauma from yesterday. Or it could be… something else. We won’t know until we get her to the hospital.”

 Bess looked at George. “Head trauma? What head trauma?”

 “If you’d bothered to come when you said you’d come, you’d know,” George said shortly.

 “Maybe she just had a little too much to drink.”

 The muttered comment had come from the crowd of young women gathered nearby, but it was impossible to tell who had said it, at least for Nancy. George leapt to her feet and turned a furious look on the group.

 “George,” Nancy said quietly, touching her friend’s knee. “Please, just help me to Andrea’s car.”

 “I’m coming with you,” Van said.

 “No, Vanessa, you have guests to attend to. Let Laura and Eloise handle this,” Char said and motioned to Andrea who had returned seconds earlier. “Andrea, why don’t you help Vanessa make her friends comfortable. I’ll have some questions for them.”

 As George helped Nancy up, Laura moved to her other side. Rachel reached down and picked up the cup labeled ‘NAN,’ her expression grim.

 Rachel touched George’s arm. “I think we should bring this along.”

 Bess looked at the cup and then at Rachel. “You don’t think Nancy was drugged?”

 Char nodded at Bess even as she spoke to Rachel, “You’re Frank’s classmate from GWU, right? Do me a favor, tell the emergency room doctor about the circumstances. He’ll know what to test for. I’ll take care of things here.”

 Rachel nodded and fell into step behind Nancy, muttering under her breath.

 “Déjà vu.”


	10. Epiphanies & ERs

In front of one of the half dozen pup tents set up around the fire, Frank sat down next to Chet, his best man and his oldest and closest friend, not counting Joe. The crowd had swelled considerably for a while. But now, at nearly two in the morning, it was back to just the brothers and their closest friends. Joe, Phil, Biff and Tony had set up a folding table and started a game of cards, but Frank didn’t feel like playing. Chet obviously didn’t either.

 “I’m about ready to hit the sack,” Frank said. “How about you?”

 Chet chuckled. “I remember a time when we could stay up all night and then spend the entire day haying.”

 Frank laughed. “Not by choice. I swear, the later we stayed out, the earlier your dad would roust us out of bed.”

 “You figured that out, huh?” Chet asked.

 “That didn’t take a whole lot of deductive reasoning, Chet,” Frank said. They watched the fire silently for a couple minutes.

 Frank finally turned and looked at his friend curiously. “So, are you going to tell me about this girl you’re seeing? How’d you meet her?”

 Chet glanced across the fire at the others and nodded. He put a finger to his lips and whispered, “I don’t feel like getting ribbed anymore tonight, so let’s just… keep it on the QT, huh?”

 Frank nodded and scooted closer to his friend so they could continue their conversation in undertones. Chet’s face broke out in a happy grin as he started talking about his new girl.

 “I met her in the city. Dad and I were at the Farmer’s Market in Yonkers and Lacey was there shopping,” Chet said. “She had just moved to New York and we got to talking about different things to do in the area and I guess we kind of hit it off.”

 “How long have you been seeing her?” Frank asked.

 “Just a couple weeks.” Chet’s gaze strayed to the others as they broke out in raucous laughter. “I mostly go to the city to see her. I haven’t even formally introduced her to my folks... though she did meet Dad at the market.”

 “Is she coming to the wedding?”

 “I asked her but she said she can’t. Apparently she has some big window redesign project at the store and it’s scheduled to be done tomorrow evening after closing. She said she can’t get out of it so she won’t be able to make it.”

 “What does she do?”

 “She has an undergrad in psychology, which, in her words, doesn’t pay the bills. She’s working retail right now, but she’s keeping her ear to the ground for a better opportunity.”

 “Is her family from around here?”

 “I guess her parents are both gone and she doesn’t have any extended family.” Chet shook his head. “I just can’t imagine that.”

 Knowing his big-hearted friend, Frank suspected that the desire to help the young woman was as much of an attraction for Chet as the fact that she was pretty.

 “I can’t either,” Frank said and studied his friend thoughtfully. “Sounds like you’re pretty serious for only having known her a couple weeks.”

 Chet nodded and his brows furrowed. “Can I ask you a question, Frank?”

 “Sure.”

 “How did you know Nancy was the one?” Chet leaned forward and locked an uncharacteristically intense gaze on Frank.

 “You’re asking me?” Frank gave a dry laugh. “It took me years to finally admit to myself that I had feelings for Nan.”

 They were both startled as Biff dropped to the ground in front of them. Chet sat back, his gaze suddenly guarded.

 Biff cast a questioning glance between them. “What’s up, guys?”

 “Maybe Biff could help,” Frank said. “He doesn’t seem to have any trouble figuring out what he wants. Which reminds me, how did things go in Chicago with meeting George’s parents, Biff?”

 Biff looped his long arms around his knees and shrugged nonchalantly, but Frank recognized the tension in the jovial blond’s face. “George’s folks are great. Georgia, however, is stubborn. Gorgeous and smart, but definitely stubborn.”

 Frank smirked. “I think Chicago breeds them that way.”

 “How long have you and George been seeing each other, Biff?” Chet asked.

 “A couple months,” Biff said and then sighed. “I knew she was hesitant about the whole thing to begin with after what happened with her previous live-in boyfriend. Unfortunately, this damn deployment has thrown a huge monkey wrench into the whole taking it slow strategy. You know I really thought she would refuse when I suggested the Chicago trip.”

 “But she didn’t,” Frank said.

 Biff picked up a stick and poked at the dirt. “No. But I don’t think she was exactly thrilled about me raising the long-term issue.”

 Chet gaped at Biff. Frank was sure his own expression was similar.

 “Long-term issue?” Chet repeated.

 “Yeah, Chet,” Biff said with a smirk. “You know, the big question, the whole enchilada, forever after… marriage.”

 Frank flashed Chet a grin. “I told you Biff could help more than me. What did she say, Biff?”

 “Help with what?” Biff asked, ignoring Frank’s question.

 Chet’s eyes went wide and he shook his head slightly. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

 “We were just talking about how you tell when a girl you’ve met is _the one_ – you know, hypothetically speaking,” Frank said. “I told Chet I wasn’t the person to be asking. It took me years to admit I was in love with Nan.”

 Biff snorted, “Yeah. Years and a kick in the ass.”

 “What?” Sitting forward, Frank fixed a questioning gaze on his friend and his brother’s best man.

 Biff’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “ _What?_ You’re hilarious, Frank. Would you have even asked Nan out that night at the base if I hadn’t been hitting on her?”

 Frank looked at Biff narrowly. “Did Joe put you up to that?”

 Biff glanced away, but he was still grinning. “Well, he was the one that suggested it... after I asked him if anything was going on between you two.”

 “Why would you ask Joe that?” Chet asked.

 “Well, I have to admit, there is something sexy about a woman that can flatten a guy like Nan did Kendall that night,” Biff said, his taunting gaze meeting Frank’s. “So maybe I was a little attracted – despite the black eye and fat lip. But I got the impression that Frankie, here, already had something going, so I asked Joe before I made a move. Joe told me you were an idiot and then he said that I had given him an idea.”

 Frank rolled his eyes. “Unbelievable.”

 Biff leaned forward and slugged Frank on the shoulder. “You should be thanking baby brother... and me. Admit it. You wouldn’t have asked her out if you didn’t think I was going to.”

  “I don’t know.” Frank grimaced with the personal realization as he admitted, “Probably not.”

 Chet laughed. “You’re right, Frank. I’m definitely asking advice from the wrong friend in this case if it took both Joe _and_ Hooper to prod you into making a move on Nan.”

 Frank slumped back and gave a self-conscious chuckle. “Like I said.”

 Biff tossed his stick into the fire, sending up a spray of sparks.

 “I’m not sure I’m the best person to ask, either. I’m afraid things might be over for me and George.” Biff gave an unamused snort. “Or at least they should be.”

 “Wait a minute,” Frank said. “You said you asked her to marry you.”

 “Sort of. The way the color drained from her face when I pulled out the ring box screwed up the actual asking part.” Biff shook his head, every shred of good-humor erased from his face. “Maybe when I get back, if she hasn’t met anyone else, I’ll give it another try. But I’ve decided I’m not going to try to tie her down before I leave. It isn’t fair to George.”

 “You really do love her, don’t you?” Frank asked.

 Biff nodded, but didn’t speak and the frown on his face deepened. That was very unlike Biff.

 “It’ll work out, buddy,” Frank said.

 Biff’s voice was hoarse and raspy when he responded.

 “I hope so.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “I wanna go home,” Nancy slurred, trying to sit up.

 George pressed her friend back against the pillows. She’d had lots of practice dealing with Nan’s stubborn streak.

 “Not until we see the doc, Nan.”

 “A roofie isn’t gonna kill me,” Nancy yawned. “I wanna go home and sleep it off in my own bed… well, in Laura’s bed. I mean, her guest bed. Not that I’m a guest since I’m gonna marry Frank. I’m gonna marry Frank…”

 Nancy’s dreamy smile disappeared with another wide yawn, as her blue eyes drifted shut. She had been fighting sleep ever since they had arrived at the hospital nearly four hours earlier. Sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed, Laura looked anxiously at the closed door to the room.

 “I certainly hope Eloise and Fenton have gotten Carson calmed down,” she said, and then smiled tightly. “At least Nancy’s in a good mood.”

 George nodded absently, watching thoughtfully as Nancy turned onto her side and began to softly snore. Through all of the poking and prodding since their arrival, including another CT scan and two separate blood draws, as well as the usual vitals checks, Nancy had remained incredibly upbeat. Even when her father had arrived and gone off the deep end about his daughter being drugged, Nancy had remained jovial.

 George understood how Mr. Drew felt. What if Nancy had reacted adversely to whatever had been slipped into her drink? What if, instead of a drunken stupor, her friend had ended up in a coma, or worse? The thought chilled her, but she couldn’t help but smirk. It was the worst kind of irony that the person they had to thank for her friend’s persistent good mood was also the person responsible for the increasingly awful things that had been happening to her.

 “Thank goodness for small favors,” George finally said out loud. “Because if Nan was with it, I guarantee she’d be pissed as hell, just like her father. I know I am.”

 “I imagine you’re right.” Laura sighed. “I’m having grave misgivings about not calling Frank. He would want to be here.”

 “I know,” George said. “But Nancy was adamant that we not call him. She wants him to enjoy his bachelor party. By the way, Laura – thank you for having Rachel take Bess home. I was angry with her to begin with, and her constant prattling was really wearing on my nerves. I think I might have strangled her if she’d stayed much longer.”

 “You’re welcome, Georgia.”

 The door to the room opened and a thin, white-haired man strode in. Though he was wearing street clothes, the fact that he was carrying Nancy’s chart hinted that he was the attending doctor. 

 George stood and the man shook her hand.

 “Hello, there. I’m Dr. Walters.” He turned and smiled widely. “Ah, Laura, I knew our patient, here, was associated with the Hardy household.”

 Laura shook his offered hand. “Unfortunately, you’ve met Nancy already. This young lady, here, is Nancy’s good friend, George Fayne.”

 “Yes, Frank introduced me to his fiancée when he brought her into the ER with a rather nasty concussion,” Dr. Walters said.

 “The nurse said they were going to call you since you had treated her… goodness, is it just yesterday or the day before…” Laura sighed and shook her head. “The days are running together. Anyway, thank you so much for coming in at this hour, Dr. Walters.”

 “Not a problem at all, Laura.” He walked to the bed, where Nancy was now snoring softly.  She barely stirred as he lifted her hand, his fingers on her wrist. After several silent seconds, he released her arm, and lifted each eyelid in turn, flashing a light over her vivid blue eyes. Nancy groaned at the intrusion and then quickly rolled over and resumed her snoring. Dr. Walters turned to talk to Laura and George.

 “Well, I received the preliminary results of the CT scan, and everything still looks good there. There are no indications of any intracranial issues at all. However, the blood work confirms that Nancy ingested flunitrazepam, more commonly known as Rohypnol, or ‘a roofie’ as it’s called on the streets,” Dr. Walters said, his gaze serious. “The good news is that while it is a central nervous system depressant, based on the monitoring so far, it is not adversely affecting Nancy’s vital functions. The dose appears to have been moderate and really the best treatment at this point is to let her sleep it off. She will probably experience anterograde amnesia, likely encompassing most of the time since she was first drugged until the effects wear off. The other effects should lessen and disappear, oh, I’d say over the next eight to fourteen hours, assuming she was dosed sometime late in the evening.”

 “So hopefully the worst will be past in time for the wedding rehearsal,” George said in relief.

 Dr. Walters smiled. “She should be feeling pretty much like herself by mid-afternoon or so.”

 “Thank goodness,” Laura said. “Can we take her home?”

 “I’d like to keep her under observation until morning,” the doctor said.

 “I wanna go home,” Nancy murmured, though her eyes didn’t open.

 “Is that really necessary, Dr. Walters?” Laura’s tone and smile were both cajoling.

 With a chuckle, the doctor shook his head. “If you’d prefer to take her home, I can release her now, Laura. I know you’re more than capable of taking care of recalcitrant patients. Those boys of yours are both rather headstrong, not to mention Fenton.”

 “So is Nan,” George said with a laugh. “And I certainly don’t want to deal with her if she wakes up in the hospital the day before her wedding.”

 Dr. Walters looked down at Nancy, his head tilted to the side. “You know it’s been nagging at me since I saw her yesterday. She looks vaguely familiar. Frank told me she’s from Chicago, but I’d swear I’ve seen her before…”

 Laura pursed her lips in thought. “Here?”

 “Yes, though I think she was younger… the strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes are rather distinctive.” He brushed Nancy’s hair from her forehead, revealing a sliver of a scar near her hair line. “Ah, yes. Ten stitches from, hmm… a fall from a tree, I believe.”

 “Of course!” Laura said. “I had forgotten about that. Nancy was probably about nine or ten when that happened.”

 “You came in with her and both boys,” Dr. Walters said.

 “Yes,” Laura said. “For whatever reason, Gertrude was out that day, and Fenton and Carson had taken off somewhere. Frank wouldn’t leave Nancy’s side and I certainly wasn’t willing to leave Joe at home alone, so I ended up bringing all of them to the emergency room.”

 “And when I came into the treatment room, I remember she and Joe were arguing about which one had won some competition…”

 “The climbing competition that had led to the fall in the first place,” Laura said with a shake of her head.

 A low, steady rumble of laughter escaped as Dr. Walters said, “Of course! Joseph claimed that he had won by default because she fell out of the tree and she  
argued that she had made it higher in the tree than he had, so she had won. As I recall, Frank ruled in favor of Nancy – much to Joe’s chagrin!”

 “That was about par for the course where those three were concerned,” Laura said.

 George laughed. “Funny how some things never change.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank pulled his car into his parents’ drive and hopped out, ignoring the groan from his brother when he slammed the door shut. He was feeling amazingly refreshed given that he hadn’t crashed until almost three that morning. It didn’t hurt that they had been allowed to sleep in until nearly eleven.

 Inside the house he followed the smell of food through to the kitchen. There his mother stood in front of the stove, moving a batch of crispy bacon from a frying pan to paper towels to drain, while Eloise worked at the counter, slicing fresh tomatoes and onions.

 He greeted both of them and then leaned down to kiss his mother’s cheek as he nabbed a piece of bacon. “So, how did things go last night?”

 Shoving the bacon into his mouth, he reached for another piece, but stopped at the look on his mother’s face. Not because she looked angry, but because she looked anxious.

 His eyes narrowed and he glanced at Eloise, noting the same unease in her demeanor as she avoided his gaze. He turned back to his mother.

 “What’s wrong, Mom?”

 “You didn’t forget your brother at the Mortons’, did you?” she asked breezily.

 Frank waited a beat to answer. “No. He’s just moving slow this morning. Too much beer, not enough sleep. Did something happen last night, Mom?”

 “Yes,” his mother said. She took a deep breath and then added in a rush, “Someone slipped Rohypnol into Nancy’s drink last night and we ended up in the emergency room again.”

 He looked from his mother to Nancy’s aunt and back. “Why didn’t you call me?”

 Eloise put a calming hand on his shoulder. “Nancy asked us not to call you because she wanted you to enjoy the evening with your friends. Please don’t give your mother a hard time about it. She was simply trying to abide by Nancy’s stated wishes.”

 Frank sighed and nodded. “Is Nan alright?”

 “She’s out back,” his mother said. “She’s fine, but she doesn’t really remember much of the evening at all. That’s probably a blessing in disguise.”

 “Does Con know about it?”

 “Of course he does,” she said. “And so do Carson and your father. Char was here and questioned all the girls that attended the party – including the ones that had already left. There’s nothing you can do that the police can’t handle. Now go outside and check on your fiancée. She could use a pick-me-up.”

 Despite his worry about Nancy, the sight that greeted Frank when he walked out the back door caused him to stop and stare. The tents had been decked out with strings of white lights and swags of white flowers and ribbons. It looked like something out of a fairy tale and it drove home just how imminent the wedding was.

 It took him a minute to finish gaping and then locate Nancy. The deck chairs had been moved to the back corner of the yard yet again. Vanessa was reading in one of the lounge chairs and next to her, Nan was flat on her stomach on another. George, Bess, Rachel and Bryan all sat in other chairs in a loose cluster. None of them appeared to be terribly energetic.

 Skirting the wedding tents, he approached the group, but his attention was fixed on the strawberry blonde he would be marrying tomorrow. Tomorrow. As usual, the reminder of the rapidly approaching nuptials pushed other worries from his mind. Placing a hand lightly on Nancy’s back, he bent down and kissed her nose.

 “Hey, sweetheart. How’re you doing?”

 She rolled onto her side and looked up at him with a smile. “I do better every second closer we get to tomorrow.”

 He took a seat on the edge of the chair next to her and leaned in for a warm kiss. When he sat up, Vanessa had lowered her sunglasses and was giving him a look.

 “What?” he asked.

 “Did you hear what happened?”

 “Yeah, Mom told me. She also told me to let the police handle it.” He looked down at Nancy, noticing for the first time the dark smudges under bloodshot blue eyes. “Last night was pretty rough, huh, sweetheart?”

 Nancy shrugged and flashed him a tired smile. “I don’t really remember much of anything. Maybe you should ask someone else.”

 “It was a roofie, Frank,” Rachel shuddered. “It gives me the willies. In fact, I told Char about Fawn.”

 “Fawn? Why would you tell Char about Fawn?” Frank asked.

 “She left GWU,” Bryan said. “Who’s to say that she didn’t decide to take a road trip to Bayport? I, for one, am glad Rachel took the initiative and told the constable about her. Can’t be too careful with a nut job like her in your past.”

 “I went out on one date with her. One.” Frank held up a single finger to emphasize his point. It seemed ludicrous to think Fawn would follow him to Bayport to pull a bunch of annoying pranks. “It’s not like Rohypnol is something new or unique, anyway. I’d be more inclined to believe it was one of the girls that attended the party and I still think that seems like a stretch.”

 “These pranks aren’t pulling themselves, chum,” Bryan said.

 Frank raked a hand back through his hair in agitation. “I know, I know.”

 Joe came lumbering into view, dark glasses hiding his eyes. He dropped into the nearest chair and waved a hand at Vanessa who had opened her mouth to speak.

 “Don’t say a word,” he warned. “I didn’t have that much to drink. Frank just woke me up too early.”

 “I could have left you at the Mortons’, but Mom would have skinned me alive, little brother,” Frank said with a smirk. “She told us both, and I quote, ‘I don’t care how bad a hangover either of you has, you had better be here in time for lunch.’”

 Joe lifted his glasses, gave Nancy a critical once over and dropped them back in place. “You look almost as bad as I feel, Nan. Did you have a good time last night?”

 “I really don’t remember,” Nancy said.

 “Wow. That good, huh?” Joe asked.

 “She was drugged, Joe,” Vanessa said. “Someone slipped a roofie into her drink. That’s why she doesn’t remember anything.”

 Joe sat forward and tore his glasses off his face, “What! Ooo, ouch.”

 He sank back and slid the glasses back in place as Vanessa, George, Rachel and even Bess took turns relating the events of the evening.

 Joe grimaced as he pushed himself to his feet. “Come on, bro. I think we should take a walk over to your new house.”

 Frank stood and Nancy followed suit.

 “Where do you think you’re going?” Frank asked her.

 “If you have to ask, then you don’t know me as well as I thought, Frank,” Nancy said, her chin lifting defiantly.

 “I didn’t say I was going,” Frank said evenly. “I think we should call Con and let him handle the investigation – just like you keep insisting we should.”

Aw, c’mon, Frank,” Joe said. “It’ll take us all of fifteen minutes to run over, take a look around, and run back.”

Frank glared at his brother and then turned to Vanessa for help. “What do you think, Van?”

 “I think Laura almost has lunch ready and we should leave this matter to the police,” Vanessa said, taking a firm grip on Joe’s arm.

 Bess stood, and crossed her arms. “I’m torn. I’d really like to see your new house… but not if you think the culprit is there.”

 “I seriously doubt that whoever drugged Nancy is there,” George said.

 “I doubt it, too,” Frank said. “We don’t even know that the break in and the drugging are related.”

 “You forgot about the marriage license and the drink samples, bro,” Joe said. “Don’t tell me that your logical mind is gong to continue to allow you to deny the emerging pattern here.”

 “It can’t hurt to go over and have a look around,” Rachel piped up. “I mean, after all, there’s a whole hoard of us. Besides, Bry and I haven’t seen your new place either.”

 Vanessa sighed and cast a sympathetic smile at Frank. “I think we’re outnumbered.”

 “The story of my life,” Frank said.


	11. Lights & Love

As they moved back into the woods, Vanessa gripped Joe’s hand more tightly. They were at the head of the line, and the encroaching undergrowth offered ample places for someone to lie in hiding for an ambush. The thought made her shiver.

 She let out a bloodcurdling scream a moment later when someone came crashing toward them. She quickly realized that it was Keely, followed by her brother, Kody, and bringing up the rear, Will.

 Putting a hand to her chest, she glared at them. “Oh, you three! You scared me nearly to death!”

 The rest of their group had hurried to catch up and now Nancy and Frank and the others crowded around them.

 Keely ignored Vanessa’s furious look and spoke to Joe and Frank.

 “Are you guys going to DiLeilos’?”

 “What are you three doing back here?” Frank asked.

 “I think they’re probably headed to DiLeilos’, honey,” Nancy said with a smile.

 Will’s eyes widened and he nodded. “Keely wanted us to come with her.”

 “I spent the night at Megan’s last night, and I swear I saw lights at DiLeilos’,” Keely said, excitement shining in her eyes.

 Will looked at Frank, his gaze serious. “When Keely told us this morning, we called Detective Riley right away, Frank. He said he’d send a unit over to check it out.”

 “But you thought you should check it out yourselves, just in case, right?” Joe said with a knowing smile. “Kids after my own heart.”

 “I was just following them,” Kody said. “Mom says I’m s’posed to make sure Keely stays out of trouble.”

 “Hopefully you have better luck with that than I ever did keeping Joe out of trouble, Kody,” Frank said with a smirk. He motioned down the path toward DiLeilos’. “Let’s all go together. Maybe we’ll find Con there and have a party.”

 Just then the detective materialized in front of them, his gun drawn.

 “Who screamed?”

 Keely rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand. “It was just Vanessa. Did you find anything at DiLeilos’, Detective Riley?”

 Con put his gun away with a sigh. He turned to lead the way back down the path.

 “I should have known. Not like I could stop any of you from coming, anyway.” He shook his head and chuckled. “Come along. I’d like to have a word with you, Keely.”

 Joe wrapped an arm around Vanessa’s shoulders as they fell into step behind the three youngsters.

 “Like Frank said – party!”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe watched as Frank settled Nancy on one of the stone benches that lined the back patio. He then straddled the bench and pulled her against his chest, his face tight with worry. Joe dropped onto another bench, and put an arm around Vanessa who had sat down next to him. This whole situation was getting out of hand. And the wedding was tomorrow.

 Frank kissed the back of Nancy’s head. “How’re you holding up, sweetheart?”

 “I’m fine,” Nancy said.

 “This is gorgeous, Nan!” Bess enthused as she walked across the flagstone patio. “I simply love the in-ground pool. And the landscaping is incredible.”

 “Mr. DiLeilo was a housing contractor,” Frank said. “He built the place himself. The inside is really nice, with hardwood and ceramic tile flooring, beautiful woodwork and built ins…”

 “But what Frank really liked was the wood shop off the back of the garage,” Nancy said with a smile.

 “The place is huge, too. Mr. DiLeilo added onto it every time Mrs. DiLeilo got pregnant – and she got pregnant a lot.” Joe cast a teasing grin at his future sister-in-law. “Leaves you with an awful lot of space to fill, Nan. Though based on your exploits of the last week or so, I’d say you and my big brother are up to it.”

 “Joe, there are kids here,” Vanessa hissed at him.

 Nancy glared. “You’re just lucky I feel lousy, Joseph Fenton Hardy, or you’d be in a world of hurt.”

 Keely stood next to the pool. “Man, I’d love to go swimming. Too bad the pool isn’t open.”

 “When we get it open, you’ll have to come over and try it out,” Nancy offered.

 “You guys are really buying this place?” Will asked.

 “Yep,” Frank said. “We’ll be moving in as soon as we get back from the honeymoon.”

 Joe sat up straighter, realizing he’d never told his brother about the more mundane topics of his conversation with Lou DiLeilo yesterday.

 “That reminds me, bro. Lou said the big stuff left in the house is up for grabs. If you want it, you can have it. He also said that if you wanted to move in early, you could. They’ve finished moving everything out that they want.”

 “What kind of big stuff is left?” Frank asked.

 Joe ran through what Lou had shown them. “Van and I could use the entertainment center, if you two don’t want it.”

 “You said a king size bedroom set?” Frank smiled. “That’s great! I was thinking we were going to have to go out and buy something brand new. Did Lou say what they wanted for the furniture?”

 “They just don’t want to have to fuss with it,” Vanessa said.

 “We have to pay them something,” Nancy protested.

 Chuckling, Joe said, “Good luck with that. Mrs. D is a pretty tough negotiator.”

 Frank laughed. “That’s the truth. She’s always been generous to a fault and I think most of her kids take after her. If Lou said it’s free, he means it.”

 Frank’s phone toned and he flipped it open, reading the screen. “Mom wants to know where we all disappeared to. She says lunch will be ready in half an hour and we better be back.”

 “I am amazed at how your mom has taken to texting,” George said.  “My mother refuses to even consider getting a cell phone.”

 “Mom claims cell phones are the best invention ever,” Joe said with a laugh. “She says we can’t ignore her anymore.”

 “Where did Con disappear to?” Frank asked, glancing around.

 The sliding door that led from the sun room to the patio opened as if on cue, and Char stepped out followed closely by Con.

 Char looked at Nancy and asked, “How are you feeling today?”

 “Better,” Nancy said. “Not great, but better.”

 “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Con said. “We brought in the same team that went over the house yesterday after Joe’s discovery. Someone has definitely been in the house, again. Hopefully this time they slipped up and left behind some identifying evidence.”

 “Didn’t you increase patrols in the neighborhood last night, Con?” Joe asked.

 “We did but they didn’t sit on DiLeilos’ – I was a little more concerned about your folks’ place, where the party was taking place.” Con turned to the young girl. “Keely, when did you see the lights on in the house?”

 “I didn’t see the lights on,” Keely said. “I saw a flashlight swinging around in the lower left hand window, and then again, a little later, in the upper right hand window in the section over the garage.”

 “What time was it?”

 Keely shrugged. “Between one and two in the morning, I think.”

 “Why didn’t you call us last night, Keely?” Char asked.

 Pressing her lips together, Keely said defensively, “I was staying at Megan’s and her parents told me I was imagining things. They wouldn’t let me call. They thought I was trying to pull some kind of prank.”

 “We called as soon as Keely told us about it,” Will said. “We figured you’d want to know, even if it turned out to be nothing.”

 “That was good thinking, Will,” Con said, giving the boy a thump on the shoulder.

 Char nodded, and then looked at Frank. “Rachel mentioned a young woman that was stalking you, Frank. Can you tell us any more about her?”

 Frank sighed. “Fawn Jackson was a classmate at GeorgeWashingtonUniversity. I really didn’t think that she was stalking me. She was just… persistent.”

 Rachel snorted. “Trust me, she was more than persistent. When you use Rohypnol to make your sexual conquests it’s usually called rape.”

 “She’s used Rohypnol before?” Con asked.

 Bryan’s face was beet red. “We aren’t certain that’s what it was, but… well, she slipped me a mickey of some sort to, ahem, make me amenable. I don’t rightly recall much from the evening, in all honesty. But Fawn made damn sure I knew I was sleeping in her bed when I came to.”

 “And she never expressed that much interest in Bryan until she found out that he and I were dating,” Rachel said. “Fawn knew Frank and I were good friends and she tried to use it as leverage to get him to sleep with her.”

 “Is this true, Frank?” Char asked.

 Frank’s face was almost as red as Bryan’s. “Yeah. She broke into my apartment and told me that if I didn’t sleep with her she was going to tell Rachel all about her conquest of Bryan.”

 “She miscalculated on two fronts, though,” Rachel said. “First, she thought Bryan would try to hide the truth from me – which he didn’t. And second, she thought Frank would try to protect me from the truth, which he didn’t. Fawn doesn’t have a clue what a real, grown-up relationship is all about. She is one psycho chick!”

 “Did you go to the police with any of this?” Char asked.

 Frank and Bryan exchanged an uncomfortable look and both shook their heads.

 “So there is no record of either the drugging or the breaking and entering?” Con asked.

 “I’m afraid not,” Frank said.

 Joe had to stifle a snicker at Frank’s obvious unease. It was rare that his uptight, by-the-book brother was in a situation like this. Joe would have liked to tease him about it, but he really did feel sorry for him.

 “You have her full name, Char?” Con asked.

 Char flipped open her notebook. “L. Fawn Jackson. Do any of you know what the L stands for?”

 “I’ve been racking my brain about that. I think it stood for Lake or something like that,” Rachel said. “All I know is that she hated her first name, and she never used it at school.”

 “Her advisor at GWU was Dr. Ankush Chokshi. He should be able to provide you with all of her vital stats,” Frank said and then shook his head. “Do you really think she could be behind all of this?”

 “I don’t want to neglect any possibilities,” Con said. Casting a sympathetic look at Frank and Nancy, he added, “I realize this has to be wearing on both of you. And I know I don’t have to tell you to be vigilant. But I really hope you’ll try to relax and enjoy the next couple days. Char and I will do everything we can to make sure nothing else happens. I talked to the chief and we’ll keep a unit in the neighborhood full-time for the weekend.”

 Nancy stood and smiled. “That means a lot, Con. And thank you, too, Char. We really appreciate it. It’s just kind of hard to let it go when it’s so close to home.”

 “Literally,” Frank said.

 Char chuckled. “I can imagine. But Con’s right. You all have more important things to be doing than worrying yourselves about this.”

 Frank stood and squeezed Nan’s shoulders. “Speaking of which, can we take our friends on a tour of our new house, Con?”

 Con pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. “Not right now. But we should be done sometime this afternoon. I’ll let you know when.”

 “Thanks,” Frank said. “And on that note, I think we better head back home. Mom and Eloise are probably setting out lunch as we speak.”

 “Thank God,” Joe said, standing. “I’m starving.”

 “Aren’t you always?” several of the group chorused. And then they all burst out laughing.

 “I’m a growing boy,” Joe harrumphed as he turned to lead the way back down the path.

 “Yeah, growing out,” Frank snickered. “Hopefully that special order tux still fits tomorrow, huh, bro?”

 That comment removed the last of Joe’s reticence about teasing his brother.

 “At least I only have one woman vying for my attention tomorrow, bro.”

 He yelped as Vanessa pinched him.

 “That wasn’t nice, Joseph Hardy,” Vanessa hissed in his ear.

 Joe grimaced and whispered, “But Frank started it.”

 “And I’m ending it,” Vanessa said quietly but firmly. “Grow up.”

 Joe cast an apologetic, if roguish, smile at her.

 “Where’s the fun in that?”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Chet looked up in surprise as Lacey came walking into the winery. Dressed in jeans and a tank top, she still moved like a model on a runway, her slim hips swaying with each step. She stopped at the bar and leaned over it to plant a light kiss on his cheek.

 “Hi there, handsome,” she said with a warm smile.

 The grin on his face had to be silly and just a tad love-sick. He often felt like a dopey lap dog around Lacey. He really didn’t deserve her.

 “Hey, Lace,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you today. In fact, I didn’t think _I’d_ be here today. I just stopped by to talk to Maddy when she comes in. Then I have to head over to my friends’ place to help with the final wedding prep. Would you like to come?”

 He flashed her a hopeful smile. He was ready for her to meet his friends and officially become his girlfriend.

 “I’m sorry, Chet, I really can’t. I stopped out on the off chance I’d get to see you before I went to work. What time is rehearsal dinner tonight?”

 “I think Pastor Eckles is supposed to be there around six for the actual ceremony rehearsal, and then we’re caravanning over to Andrea’s house for a barbecue.”

 “Andrea Bender, right? Vanessa’s mother?” Lacey asked.

 Chet beamed at her. No matter how he rambled on about his friends – people Lacey didn’t even know – she would listen attentively.

 “Yeah, she lives just a few miles away, on the other side of the neighborhood. I think Frank and Joe are staying at her house tonight. That way Nancy and Vanessa can stay at the Hardys’ so the police can keep a close eye on Nan and the house. After all the shenanigans of the last few days they don’t want to take any chances on someone sabotaging everything that’s been done to get ready for the ceremony.”

 “The police are going to be watching the Hardys’?” Lacey asked. “That’s a good thing, right?”

 “Yeah – they’ll make sure everything goes smoothly tomorrow.” Chet chuckled. “And I’m sure the chief will order them to make sure the grooms behave and don’t try to see the brides before the ceremony – that’s bad luck, after all.”

 Chet was surprised by the grimace that greeted his joke. But Lacey’s face quickly transformed into a smile when she met his gaze.

 “So it is. Tell me, did your friend, Frank, enjoy his lunch yesterday?”

 “They loved it,” Chet said enthusiastically. “They said it was like a mini-vacation from all the wedding prep craziness. That’s just what I was going for with these picnic lunches on the grounds. A chance to escape the rat race for a bit, even if you don’t have time to really get away.”

 Lacey’s brow furrowed. “Oh, I’m so glad it worked out… without any problems, or anything.”

 “No real problems, per se,” Chet said uneasily. Reminded of what he needed to talk to Maddy about just as she came through the door, he added, “Listen, Lace, I have something I need to take care of. I’ll be right back…”

 Lacey caught him as he came through the gate in the counter and gave him a kiss. “I’ll be waiting.”

 It took him a few seconds to refocus on his task – to talk to Maddy about the broken wine bottle. He turned away from Lacey and saw Maddy’s familiar figure walking purposely toward the hooks by the office door. Her gaze was averted, almost as if she was trying to avoid greeting him.

 Madelón Flores was a petite young woman with chocolate brown eyes and wavy, jet black hair. Even though the hair was currently pulled up into a loose bundle at the nape of her neck, Chet knew it fell nearly to her waist. He remembered when they were kids and she used to wear it in pig tails – pig tails he loved to pull.

 She hung her jacket and turned to walk back toward him, unable to avoid him any longer.

 “Hey, Mads, do you have a minute?”

 Maddy’s eyes strayed over Chet’s shoulder, and he didn’t miss the frown that contorted her full lips briefly. But she smiled when her gaze returned to him.

 “I have lots of minutes, Chet. What do you need?”

 Chet had always loved to listen to Maddy talk. Her English was flawless, but her accent added a lilt to her diction that he found oddly soothing. It was almost enough to make him forget what he needed to talk to her about.

 He hesitated. Maddy had always been more than an employee. After all, he’d known her since they were kids, grown up with her practically living in his backyard each summer, spent hours playing around the fields with her and Iola. He didn’t know how to approach the pending conversation, but he also didn’t want to put it off.

 Placing a hand on her shoulder, he steered her back toward the office they had carved out of the corner of the building beside the bathrooms.

 “Do you mind if we talk in private?”

 She stopped short of the office door and turned to face him, her eyebrows furrowed over warm, innocent eyes. Chet was certain she’d had nothing to do with the broken bottle. He had to make sure she understood that he wasn’t accusing her of anything.

 “In private? That sounds ominous.”

 “It’s… nothing. I just need to talk to you about something that happened yesterday…”

 She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, her gaze straying briefly over his shoulder again.

 “So talk. I can think of nothing that happened yesterday that would require privacy to discuss.”

 Chet sighed. “It’s about that picnic basket you finished up for me yesterday morning. The wine bottle in it was broken and… well, it looked like it was deliberate. I was just wondering –”

 “What? If I broke it?” Maddy’s eyes had darkened until they looked almost black. She crossed her arms and faced him squarely and spoke in a low, even tone. “Why would I do that? The basket was for Frank and Nancy. I knew you wanted it to be perfect, so I actually took extra care to make sure that it was. If the wine bottle was broken, I assure you, I had nothing to do with it. Maybe you should ask her.”

 Maddy pointed over his shoulder, directly at Lacey.

 “What?” he asked in surprise.

 “You heard me,” Maddy said. “I finished the basket and set it on the counter while I returned the food to the cooler. Horace caught me on my way back inside with some questions about the new patio dining area. When I finally came back in, she was behind the counter and had the basket open.”

 “Well, I never,” Lacey said indignantly, moving to Chet’s side and slipping a slim arm around his shoulders. “I was with you out front. Remember?”

 “Yeah, I remember,” Chet agreed. “Maddy, are you sure…”

 “I know what I saw, Chet,” Maddy stamped a foot in a familiar show of frustration and irritation. “She was behind the counter and had the basket open. She closed it as soon as she saw me. If you really want to find out who broke the bottle, then you cannot ignore the fact that she had opportunity.”

 “Chet and I were out at the patio dining area,” Lacey insisted. “I don’t recall seeing you out there.”

 “Are you calling me a liar?” Maddy asked.

 “Hang on,” Chet said, holding up a hand. “Nobody is calling anybody a liar.”

 He dug back through everything that had happened yesterday, trying to recall the specifics. Having just talked to Lacey on the phone,  excited because Frank and Nancy were coming out for lunch, her arrival yesterday had come as a surprise. She had almost immediately coaxed him out to look at the new outdoor dining area they were constructing around the end of the barn, certain that Frank and Nancy would be interested.

 It was possible that while he and Lacey were in the front half of the patio, Maddy was in the back. The patio would wrap around three sides of the bard when finished and the back half was not visible from the front. In fact, that made perfect sense, since the cooler was around back and formed the back border of the patio. Horace had been tasked with putting up the trellis that would camouflage the cooler.

 So Maddy’s story was perfectly plausible – in fact, it made sense.

 “Did Horace talk to you about –”

 “What we should plant on the trellis – yes. Just as you had told him to do,” Maddy said firmly. “I told him to make the trellis good and sturdy and we would plant wisteria. In fact, I went later in the day to get the plants needed for the border gardens.”

 “Right,” Chet said. “I remember.”

 “I spoke with Horace for probably fifteen or twenty minutes,” Maddy said. “And when I came back in, she was behind the counter. I know what I saw.”

 Lacey’s grip on his arm became uncomfortably tight. “So _you_ are calling _me_ a liar?”

 He patted Lacey’s hand where it dug into his arm. “Relax, Lace. We’ll sort this out.”

 Lacey had come out to the patio with him. As usually happened, he had gotten caught up in the work on the patio, helping to spread the base sand and tamp it in place. Had she been with him the entire time? In all honesty, he couldn’t be certain. But what possible reason would Lacey have for deliberately breaking the wine bottle?

 “I am telling you, I found her – in here – behind the counter – with the basket open,” Maddy said stubbornly. “Are you saying you don’t believe me, Chet?”

 “That’s not what I said, Maddy. It’s just… it doesn’t make sense,” Chet said, scratching his head.

 “She’s just accusing me to keep suspicion off herself,” Lacey said, her grip on him tightening, again. “I bet _she_ broke the wine bottle.”

 “That is ridiculous,” Maddy said. “What possible reason could I have for breaking the wine bottle?”

 “Maybe you thought Chet was taking me on a romantic picnic and wanted to ruin it,” Lacey said. “Maybe you broke the bottle out of jealousy.”

 “I am not jealous!” Maddy snapped. “And you are a lying, conniving… la tentadora. Just because Chet is blind to the truth does not mean I am. Te estoy vigilando, mi enemigo.”

 The escalating argument between the two women finally shook Chet out of his thoughts. He stepped sideways between Maddy and Lacey so he could look at both of them.

 “Hey, wait a minute! You don’t need to keep an eye on Lacey, Mads. We are not enemies, here, we’re friends – somos amigos,” he said with a stern look at Maddy. “I am just trying to figure out how the bottle got broken. That’s all.”

 “And I am telling you,” Maddy said furiously. “It was her.”

 Chet put his hands on Maddy’s shoulders. “That doesn’t make sense, Mads. No more than it makes sense that you broke the bottle. I think, despite appearances, it was an unfortunate accident.”

 “I doubt that,” Lacey said tightly. “She’s jealous of us, Chet – of our relationship. Can’t you see that?”

 Chet thought he caught a fleeting look of vulnerability in Maddy’s face, but it was quickly overcome by a burning anger. Turning to Lacey, he was disturbed to recognize a responding venom in her flashing blue eyes.

 “Maddy doesn’t really believe you broke the bottle, Lace. Do you, Mads?”

 He turned a pleading look on Maddy, who tipped her chin up defiantly. “I know what I saw, Chet. Either you believe me, or you believe her. You can’t have it both ways.”

 “Admit it,” Lacey said angrily. “You’ve been trying to get rid of me from day one because you’re a jealous little bitch.”

 “Hey, now!” Chet turned to face Lacey. “That was uncalled for. I think maybe you should go cool off – both of you.”

 Lacey’s mouth puckered into a bitter little prune. “I’m not the one accusing your girlfriend of deliberately doing something to undermine you. Maddy is right. Either you believe me, or you believe her.”

 Chet turned to look at her, eyes wide. His girlfriend? His gaze softened, “Lacey, please don’t be angry…”

 “Ay dios mío!” Maddy spun away. “Los hombres pueden ser tan densa!”

 Feeling like he’d been slapped, he turned around only to see Maddy’s retreating form.

 “Hey, I am not dense, Madelón!” He strode after her, his voice rising. “Get back here so we can talk this out. ¡Vuelve aquí y vamos a hablar de esto! You know I understand every word you say, so don’t pull that muttering in Spanish trick with me!”

 Maddy swung around and glared at him. “Then let me make this abundantly clear, Chester Albert Morton – ¡Renuncio! I quit!”

 Chet was rooted to the spot in shock as Maddy turned and ran out the back door of the building. He was just about to go after her when he felt cool hands rubbing his neck.

 Lacey’s voice hissed in his ear, “And I say, good riddance.”

 He turned and looked at the lovely young woman that he had fallen so easily for. The seductive smile she directed at him didn’t send warmth through him as it once had. All he could see was the coolness in her icy blue eyes – and it washed over him like the proverbial cold shower.

 He glared at her. “I think you should leave.”

 She stepped back and crossed her arms, an ugly little smirk contorting her lips. “You really are a fool, aren’t you Chet? Are you sure you want me to leave? Because if I walk out that door, I will never come back.”

 Chet felt a cold knot form in the pit of his stomach as he wondered whether she had ever cared about him at all. And if not, why had she led him on? What purpose did duping him into believing they had a relationship serve? That was going to take some time for him to sort out. Right now, he just wanted her out of his sight.

 “And I say, good riddance,” he said quietly.

 She gave a brittle laugh. “Ah, well. I was about done with you anyway.”

 Lacey turned and sauntered out the front door of the winery.

 He turned immediately toward the back door. He had bigger worries than figuring out what kind of games Lacey was playing. The hurt and confusion he felt over her was nothing compared to the guilt and grief he felt over what had just happened with Maddy.

 He shook himself. He had heard an engine roar to life soon after she had run out. He suspected she had taken his tractor, as she often did. And he had a sneaking suspicion where she had gone. How many times had he gone to his quiet spot only to find her there? They had shared many hushed conversations next to that old oak tree over the years. He ran out the back door.

 He had to find Maddy and tell her how sorry he was for doubting her.


	12. Reahearsal & Respite

It was mid-afternoon, and the Hardy household was bustling with people. George and Rachel were busy decorating the gazebo with the fresh flowers that had just arrived, while Callie and Vanessa worked on the head table that had been moved up to the deck. The tent erectors had come back with an additional awning and were working to stretch it the length of the deck from the gazebo in order to shelter more area from the threat of rain.

 Frank, Chet and Bryan were helping Phil set up the sound system under another shelter that Chet had brought from home. Joe, Biff and Tony were occupied out front, putting up signs to direct people where to park, as well as marking out the empty lot down the street for said parking. Carson and Fenton were moving furniture in the house to make clear pathways to the bathroom facilities, as well as ensuring that the path around the outside of the house leading to the wedding area was clearly marked so people would know not to enter through the house.

 Aunt Eloise and Aunt Gertrude were working with the florist to place the larger arrangements in the appropriate places and make sure they were adequately watered. Andrea and Laura were keeping a running tally of what was done and what still needed to be done, ensuring everyone remained on task.

 Nancy, herself, had just finished distributing the centerpieces for the guest tables, when she noticed Bess. Standing passively off to the side amidst the flurry of activity, her friend appeared pensive. It was very unlike her.

 Putting a hand on her shoulder, Nancy asked, “Is everything ok, Bess?”

 Startled, Bess straightened and cast an apologetic look at Nancy. “Is there something else I can do to help? I finished putting the bows on the chairs.”

 “Bess, what’s wrong? You haven’t been yourself for the last couple hours.”

 Bess frowned. “I know. I just feel so dreadful, and I’m trying not to let it ruin your wedding, but I don’t know what to do to fix it.”

 “Fix what?” Nancy asked, urging her friend to sit.

 Slumping into a chair, Bess looked up at Nancy. “I feel like such a heel, Nan. George is right. I let Phillip’s extravagant lifestyle consume me. I can’t believe I missed your shower in Chicago. And then George told me what happened with Biff. I just… I feel like I’ve let you both down horribly.”

 “You haven’t let me down at all, Bess,” Nancy said, patting her hand. “I do wish you could have been at the Chicago shower, but you made it to the Bayport shower. And how often does a wealthy, handsome man invite you to Paris? I understand, really I do.”

 “George doesn’t,” Bess pouted. “She’s furious with me. Which is just adding to her sour mood. Ooo, I could just pummel Biff Hooper right now.”

 “What did Biff do?” Nancy asked with a start.

 “Apparently he and George had their first fight yesterday morning. Though she couldn’t really tell me what it was about. And he hasn’t spoken one word to her today. She’s absolutely devastated.”

 Come to think about it, Nancy had wondered at the fact that she hadn’t seen Biff and George anywhere near one another this afternoon. It had seemed strange, but she had chalked it up to conflicting responsibilities. They were all very busy.

 “George didn’t say anything to me. I can’t believe I didn’t notice…”

 “Oh,” Bess looked distressed. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you. George didn’t want it ruining your weekend.”

 “Honestly,” Nancy said, pushing herself away from the table and scanning the backyard. She saw Frank coming out of the house. If anyone knew what was going on with Biff it would be Frank or Joe.

 She looked down at Bess, who was staring off into space again. “Bess –”

 “You have to tell me honestly, Nancy,” Bess interrupted her. “Isn’t it just a little weird having your fiancé’s ex-girlfriend _in_ your wedding?”

 Following Bess’s line of sight, Nancy realized she was staring over to where Callie was working with Vanessa to put the finishing touches on the head table. The tickler reminded her of the talk she’d had with Frank at the winery just the other day. Another thing on her list.

 “It’s a little… different. But Callie is a very sweet woman, Bess. It’ll be fine. Listen, I have to talk to Frank. Why don’t you go check with Laura or Andrea and see what else needs to be done. I’ll be back shortly to help. And Bess, please stop the guilt trip.”

 Making her way over to where the sound system was being set up on the patio, she lost sight of Frank. But as she got closer, Chet waved at her.

 “Hey, Nan! Looking for your fiancé?” he asked, pointing down.

 She rounded the table to find Frank stretched underneath it, and angled behind a large box to which he was hooking wires.

 “Really, Phil, you need to think about going wireless, bud,” he said as he sat up.

 Phil shook his head adamantly. “Are you kidding? This equipment is classic. I can even play vinyl on it. You just don’t get that kind of sound from a wireless setup – you can’t!”

 Frank’s smile was resigned but turned into a wide grin when he caught sight of Nancy.

 “Hey, sweetheart. How’s it going?”

 Nancy took his hand and pulled him to his feet. “We need to talk.”

 “Ok,” Frank said and then turned to Chet and Phil. “I think the wires are all connected correctly now. Why don’t you two run a system check? I’ll be back in a few.”

 He wrapped an arm around her and they walked to the end of the house where there was a little privacy.

 “What do you need, Nan?” he asked with a relaxed smile.

 She hesitated, but only for a second. “You know what we talked about yesterday at the vineyard?”

 The relaxed smile disappeared in the blink of an eye. “You mean about Cal?”

 Nancy nodded.

 “What about it?”

 “Well, I was just thinking that now might be a good time for you to try to talk to her. Get the whole thing between you out in the open and… dealt with.” Nancy shifted uncomfortably under his silent, intent gaze. “It’s just that when we say ‘I do’ tomorrow, I’d like it to be with a clean slate – no regrets, no lingering doubts, and no worries about the past.”

 Frank glanced toward the yard and Nancy could read in his face that he was far from happy about the prospect. “Ok.”

 “You’ll talk to her?”

 “I’ll try.”

 “Please do and… thank you. Really, it means a lot to me.”

 He stepped forward and put his arms around her. “I want to reiterate that I have no doubts about marrying you. None whatsoever.”

 Nancy squeezed his waist. “Me neither.”

 They stood like that for a while, just holding each other. Frank sighed when he heard his name called.

 “I think our little retreat is on the verge of being interrupted.”

 Nancy stepped back with a corresponding sigh. “I knew it wouldn’t last. By the way, I had one more thing. We need to get Biff and George in a quiet room together to work out whatever is going on between them. I simply refuse to have my maid of honor moping about during my entire wedding.”

 “Oh.”

 She looked at Frank incredulously. “You knew?”

 “Well, I’m not sure what you mean by that,” he said uncomfortably. “I know that Biff decided not to ask George to marry him, like he had planned, because he thought it was unfair to tie her down when he was going on an extended tour.”

 “He was going to propose?”

 “Yeah,” Frank said. “Listen, Nan. This really isn’t any of our business. We need to let Biff and George work their relationship out for themselves.”

 Nancy crossed her arms and leveled him with a disbelieving gaze. “You mean like Biff and Joe let us work out our relationship for ourselves?”

 Frank cleared his throat. “Yeah, something like that.”

 “Listen, I’m not talking about making any decisions for them,” Nancy said. “All I’m suggesting is that we ensure an opportunity presents itself for them to spend some time alone. Given the current chaos here and the fact that it’s likely to continue the rest of the weekend, I think that, in and of itself, is going to be a feat.”

 Frank took a deep breath and said, “I don’t suppose there’s any deterring you?”

 Nancy waved a dismissive hand. “I’m obviously talking to the wrong brother.”

 “Does that mean I’m off the hook?” Frank asked.

  “For that, perhaps, but not for the talk with Callie.”

 Frank nodded solemnly. “Understood. But am I off the hook with the George and Biff project?”

 Turning and waving a finger at him, she said, “I’ll let you off the hook permanently if you don’t watch it, Frank Hardy.”

 He grabbed her finger and pulled her into his arms, his handsome face set in a knowing smile. “You don’t mean that.”

 Her sigh this time was content rather than exasperated, as she settled against his chest. “No, I don’t.”

 “So, give me a kiss and then I’ll let you go con Joe into helping you with your little project.”

 As Frank’s lips met hers, Nancy decided she wasn’t in that big a hurry to find Joe.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “I don’t know why Frank can’t go get his bag himself,” Biff grumbled as he stalked up the stairs.

 He rounded the corner into the guest bedroom and stopped short. George was bent over the bottom drawer of the dresser, transferring clothes to a bag.

 Without thinking, he said, “Nice view.”

 George stood up and spun around. The uncertain smile that curved her pert little mouth twisted his heart. “Oh, uh, hi. I was just… I don’t know, for some reason I was elected to pack Frank’s bag. It’s a little… awkward to be honest.”

 Biff chuckled. “And I was elected to come up and get it. Something tells me that isn’t a coincidence.”

 “This is Nan’s work. Her meddling is much more subtle than Bess’s.”

 “Ha!” he said, shifting uncomfortably. He was going to throttle Joe for this.

 “So…” George crossed her arms, fingers drumming. “What the hell has been up with you?”

 Biff shrugged. “I thought maybe we both could use a little… space. That’s all.”

 “Let me get this straight,” George said, her eyes narrow. “You are leaving in less than a month for Afghanistan and you decided _we_ needed a little space?”

 “Yeah.”

 “Seems to me we’re going to have lots of space soon, so I can’t for the life of me figure out what made you think we need a little space right now. Unless I’m missing something.”

 George was looking at him like he was stupid, or nuts – maybe both. Her attitude was starting to tick him off.

 “I don’t know, Georgia,” he said, turning to face her. “Maybe it was your reaction to the ring box at the diner. Kinda gives a guy second thoughts about asking the woman he loves to marry him when she turns white as a sheet before he’s even popped the question.”

 “You _were_ going to propose.”

 It was a statement, not a question, and Biff looked at her narrowly. Her arms had dropped to her side, shoulders slumped.

 “Yeah, you had to know I was.” He sighed and ran a hand back over his hair as he started pacing. “And then, when I really thought about it, I decided that I love you too much to tie you down like that. It isn’t fair for me to force a commitment like that when I’m just going to turn around and leave for six months or a year. I won’t do that.”

 “So I get no say in the matter? You decide you love me too much to tie me down and then totally shut me out?” George threw her hands up in the air. “You are such an ass, Hooper.”

 And then she slugged him in the arm – hard.

 “Ouch! Geez, I was doing it for your own good.”

 She slugged him again and then poked a finger into his chest.

 “If I ever want you to do something for ‘my own good’ I’ll damn well tell you.”

 George’s hand dropped and she stepped close to him. He braced for another strike.

 “Yes, by the way.”

 He narrowed his eyes, watching her warily. “Yes?”

 “Yes. I will marry you. But I have one condition.”

 Consciously closing his mouth, Biff had to remind himself to breathe. “What’s the condition?”

 “I want you to ask me properly,” she said, her lips turning up in a warm smile, and then she wagged a finger under his nose. “And that means a romantic _dinner_. I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it really isn’t the right time to broach the subject of marriage.”

 “Lesson learned,” he said, taking her hand and pulling her to him for a long, warm kiss to seal the deal.

 They were startled apart by a throat clearing. Frank stood in the doorway.

 “Um, sorry, but I need to pack a bag for tonight and you two are kind of in the way.”

 George snagged the bag off the floor and held it out to him. “Nancy sent me up earlier to pack for you.”

 Frank took the bag with a sigh. “You packed… _all_ of my clothes?”

 “Underwear and everything, Frank,” Biff said with a snicker.

 Grinning, George teased, “I always kind of took you for the tighty-whitey type, Frank. The boxers indicate a hidden wild side – especially the ones with lips all over them.”

 Biff laughed out loud at the look on Frank’s face.

 “I should have known Nancy and Joe would find a way to get me on the hook for this little project of theirs,” Frank said. “Yuk it up, Hooper. Just remember – paybacks are hell.”

 “We’ll get out of your way,” George said. “I know you’ll want to double check that everything you need is in there.”

 “Yeah, thanks,” Frank said.

 As Biff and George were moving into the hall, Frank’s voice stopped them one last time.

 “Hey, there aren’t any surprise announcements I should be prepared for tonight, are there?”

 Looking down at George’s smiling face, Biff chuckled. “It’s not much of a surprise if you know about it, Frank. Besides, I have to hold up my end of the bargain, first.”

 “I might let it slide just this once,” George said.

 “I don’t think we should announce it here without at least talking to your parents, Georgia,” Biff said.

 “My parents!”

 Frank started laughing as George ran down the stairs. Biff took a deep breath and looked at his friend.

 “Wish me luck.”

 “Luck,” Frank said with an encouraging grin.

 Biff had just started down the stairs when George reappeared, waving a hand at him.

 “Mr. Hardy said we could use his office for some privacy. Let’s call them now.”

 “I’m coming, hon, just hold your horses.”

 George crossed her arms. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

 Jogging down the last few steps, Biff wrapped his arms around her and kissed her nose.

 “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

 “Me neither,” George said, her face set in a soft, thoughtful smile. She looked up at him and her arms wound around his neck. “I love you so much, Biff.”

 “Ditto,” he murmured just before lowering his head for a kiss that was full of promises for the future –

 His and George’s future together.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe glanced over at his brother, standing opposite him next to the gazebo. Frank looked almost as nervous as he felt, and this wasn’t even the real ceremony. His gut twisted. It had nothing to do with the outcome of the ceremony – he was more than ready to be married to Vanessa. His nervousness had everything to do with not wanting to make a fool of himself in front of all of his family and friends. There was way more to this wedding ceremony thing than he had ever realized.

 Pastor Eckles spent quite a bit of time going over the sequence of events for the wedding, followed by talking them through the ceremony in detail – explaining where they should be when. Joe had zoned out by the time they were standing in front of the gazebo. He refused to think of it as an altar – it sounded way too… formal.

 Now here he stood with Biff by his side, and his brother and Chet standing across from them. Pastor Eckles had disappeared around the front of the house with the girls several minutes before. They were going to do a dry run through the ceremony. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton.

 “Are you alright, little brother?” Frank asked. “You look a little green around the gills.”

 “I’m fine,” Joe said, and then grimaced at the choked sound of his voice. He cleared his throat and tried again, “I’m fine.” Better.

 Biff cuffed him on the shoulder. “I can’t believe it. The fearless Joe Hardy is scared of his own wedding.”

 Joe rolled his shoulders. “I’m not scared. I’m nervous. It’s natural. I mean, what if I trip over my shoelaces and land on my face tomorrow? It would be embarrassing.”

 “Yeah, and it’s not out of the realm of possibilities,” Tony said from his seat in the front row. “You remember that time Joe got turned around and started running the wrong way toward the opponents’ end zone?”

 Biff laughed. “ _That_ was embarrassing.”

 “Hey,” Joe said. “I may have lost a few yards but I made a touchdown the next play. I doubt most people even remember that little mistake. We still won the game.”

 “They called you Wrong-way Hardy the rest of the year, Joe,” Frank said with a smile.

 “I do believe that particular event was memorialized in the yearbook, too,” Phil said, laughing.

 Joe made a face at Phil. “You put it in the yearbook, Mr. Editor-in-chief of the BHS Tattler.”

 Phil and Tony were leaning against each other in hysterics. Phil managed to choke out, “I did, didn’t I? Damn, Tony, I forgot my camera!”

 Tony sputtered, “Don’t worry, I’m sure Liz will bring hers. I can see the headline, now. Hardy brothers’ wedding rescheduled – Joe Hardy fumbles the ring. Exclusive photos inside!”

 Joe turned purposely from his friends. “Hahaha. You guys are freaking hilarious!”

 “Don’t worry, little brother,” Frank said. “I’m pretty sure, even if you dropped the ring, Vanessa wouldn’t let you out of the actual marriage vows. At the end of the day tomorrow we will still be married to two of the most beautiful women in this hemisphere. And these two jokers will still be going home alone.”

 Tony and Phil both sat up straight and chorused, “Hey!”

 Frank shot them a quelling look. “Quit picking on him, will ya? He’s nervous enough as it is. So am I.”

 Both friends had the grace to look contrite.

 “Sorry, Joe,” Tony said.

 Phil nodded. “Yeah, sorry about that. And about the Tattler.”

 Joe shrugged and grinned at them. “It’s ok, Phil… it was pretty funny.”

 They all chuckled again, until _Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring_ began to play.

 Joe looked up and felt his heart rate quicken as he watched Callie, and then George, and finally Vanessa walk down the aisle.

 Andrea walked by Van’s side, but Joe’s attention was focused on his fiancée. A veil of ribbons was on her head, and she carried a bouquet of bows from her shower gifts. Despite the comical effect, to him she looked like the most gorgeous bride a man could ask for.

 He didn’t notice much beside Vanessa for the rest of the rehearsal. Before he knew it they were all headed out the door for rehearsal dinner at Andrea’s. He sighed as he realized that he would be going into the official ceremony tomorrow with absolutely no idea where he was supposed to stand, or what he was supposed to say aside from ‘I do.’

 Nudging his brother, Joe asked, “Hey, bro, can you help me remember what I’m supposed to do tomorrow?”

 To his dismay, Frank looked as clueless as he felt. “I’ll help you if you help me.”

 He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Pastor Eckles standing behind them. He had a benevolent smile on his face.

 “Don’t worry, boys,” the pastor said. “I’ve led many a nervous groom through the ceremony by the nose. Just make sure to say ‘I do’ at the appropriate time.”

 Joe exchanged a relieved look with his brother.

 “I think we can handle that much, Pastor,” Frank said.

 “I do,” Joe said. “Oh, wait, is it too soon?”

 “You’re a real comedian, Joseph,” Pastor Eckles said.

 Joe grinned as the pastor slid by them, and then tugged on his brother’s arm, giving him a serious look.

 “Just make sure I go the right way down the aisle, will ya, Frank?”

 “You got it, little brother.”


	13. Frankness & Friendship

Frank dropped his overnight bag in the spare room at Andrea’s and hung his tux up in the closet. He had been relieved to see that Con sent a detail to the house to keep an eye on things. After everything that had happened, he figured the paranoia was justified. Hopefully soon it would all be over.

 It was really hitting home that tomorrow was the big day. He felt like he had spent years getting to this point and yet it had only been three short months since he and Nancy had finally started dating.

 Nancy’s voice sounded from the doorway. “Are you ready to head out back? Apparently we have to join Joe and Vanessa at the head of the line, so we’re kind of holding up the whole works right now.”

 He turned and smiled at her. For the first time in several days, she looked truly relaxed and happy. That made him happy. Two long strides put him close enough to scoop her up into his arms. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed her mouth to his. He allowed his lips to part and savored the sweet taste of her.

 She pulled back after several seconds, and gave him a warm, if apologetic, smile. “As much as I would love to stay right here, I think we better get downstairs before a hungry lynch mob comes looking for us.”

 Frank set her feet back on the floor, but he didn’t let go.

 “They can wait a few minutes,” he said as he bent to steal another kiss. “Remind me again why we have to spend the night before our wedding apart.”

 “Because it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony.”

 “I don’t believe in bad luck,” Frank said.

 “Then I guess we’ll just have to go with, ‘because your mother and Andrea said so,’” Nancy said with a teasing grin.

 “Even I can’t argue with that.”

 He let her go, but took her hand as they walked down the stairs.

 “You know, despite all the work, it’s been a pretty enjoyable afternoon,” he said.

 “The reception area looks absolutely amazing, too. I can’t wait to see it all lit up tomorrow evening.”

 “Just like a fairy tale,” Frank said.

 Nancy gripped his hand with both of hers and nodded enthusiastically. “That’s exactly what I said. I never thought of myself as the fairy tale princess kind of bride but I have to admit it appeals to the little girl in me. Do you think that’s silly?”

 “No, actually, I think it’s kind of cute. It’s a side of you I don’t ever recall seeing before,” Frank said with a smile.

 “Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” she said. “Most fairy tale princesses are not black belts, nor do they have a license to carry concealed.”

 “Or any license at all, for that matter.” Frank laughed. “Maybe you’ll start a new trend, sweetheart!”

 They were accosted as soon as they walked through the sliding door onto the back deck. Pushed to the head of the line behind Joe and Vanessa, they were chastised for making everyone wait for their food.

 A local barbecue place had catered the meal. Served buffet style, there was pulled pork, pulled chicken, and beef brisket with all the trimmings. Laughter and chatter accompanied the meal.

 After dinner, Nancy and Vanessa presented gifts to their friends that had been helping out with the wedding. They had found handcrafted flame bead jewelry at a craftsman in Ithaca and had picked out beads and charms to match each friend’s individual taste.

 Frank and Joe also presented gifts to their friends – sterling silver handcuff tie tacks. Frank had found them online and he and Joe had agreed that they wouldn’t be able to find a more appropriate gift.

 Finally it was time for the couples to exchange wedding gifts. Joe was unable to contain his excitement, and handed Vanessa a small box.

 She unwrapped it to reveal a dark velvet jewelry case. Opening it, she gasped.

 “Oh, Joe, it’s beautiful,” she said, gently lifting a locket out of the box. It was shaped as two hearts intertwined, one of white gold and the other yellow gold, with a diamond set where the two met. She opened it and read the inscription, “Our hearts beat as one.”

 Joe took it from her hands and clasped it around her neck.

 “It can be your ‘something new’ tomorrow.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Together forever, babe.”

 She smiled and handed him a similar box, though in a slightly different shape. Inside, he found a heavy chain link sterling silver bracelet with a clasp shaped as two hearts – one in silver, one in gold – that interlocked seamlessly when closed. It was eerily similar to the locket Joe had gotten for her. The hearts were engraved with Joe’s and Vanessa’s names.

 Joe grinned when he read the engraving on the back of the clasp, “’Our hearts shall beat as one forever.’ Great minds think alike!”

 As friends gathered around to admire Joe’s and Vanessa’s gifts, Frank thought maybe he had been spared the embarrassment of giving Nancy his gift in front of everyone. Unfortunately, Joe hadn’t forgotten.

 “So, bro, what do you have to top that?”

 “It isn’t a competition, Joe,” Frank said evenly.

 Joe laughed. “That is the sound of a man who has been greatly outclassed by his little brother.”

 Nancy wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his cheek. She held out a box.

 “Don’t listen to him, honey. Here, open my gift to you.”

 Frank took the box that appeared to be about the right size for jewelry. He was really wishing someone had clued him in that jewelry was the traditional wedding gift. He unwrapped it to find a hinged wooden box. His brows furrowed.

 He popped the lid open and pulled out a nylon case. Lifting the flap closure, he slipped his gift from the case and a broad grin lit his face.

 “It’s the Leatherman MUT EOD. I love it, Nan!” He had been looking at the specialized pocket tool online for months, but hadn’t been able to decide if he was willing to give up his trusty old pocket knife in favor of the utility that the Leatherman tool provided. Designed for military munitions use, it had numerous features his old knife just couldn’t match. Now his decision was made.

 She smiled at him. “I couldn’t get it engraved, but I figured the sentiment was there – after all, it could save your life someday.”

 He set it aside, and pulled her onto his lap, capturing her lips in a warm kiss. “Thank you very much, sweetheart.”

 “You are very welcome.”

 Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a small box, and handed it to her. “I don’t feel nearly so unromantically practical now.”

 Nancy opened the box and pulled out a key ring. A flat tear drop shaped fob in sterling silver, engraved with a single word, ‘COMPANIONS’ was attached to the key ring by a heavy stainless steel chain. On the key ring was an electronic arming device as well as a standard deadbolt key and door knob key. She raised her eyebrows at him.

 “Is this what I think it is?”

 He nodded. “The security system was my original gift. Then I picked up the keys from Mrs. D this afternoon and had to add them to the key chain and rewrap the gift. They’ll get us into the house until the new system is installed. What do you think about spending our wedding night in our very own home?”

 Nancy wrapped her arms around his neck and rewarded him with a warm, sultry smile. “It is the most perfect wedding gift I could imagine, honey. Very practical, and very you. I love you so much.”

 Frank turned and looked at his brother. “I may not have outclassed you, Joe, but I don’t think I care.”

 Nancy jumped off his lap and pulled him to his feet. “It isn’t a competition, remember?”

 “Oh, yeah,” Frank said.

 Joe and Vanessa moved next to them. Joe motioned out to their guests. “You should say something, Frank.”

 “Why me?”

 “Because you’re the oldest,” Joe said.

 Frank rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s a good reason.”

 “Come on, bro, don’t be rude.”

 Chuckles accompanied the brothers’ brief argument, indicating that everyone was still at least peripherally focused on the guests of honor, even if quiet conversations had resumed.

 Nancy laced her fingers into Frank’s. “We really should thank everyone.”

 “Fine,” he said. He cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Hey, everyone, if I could have your attention for a minute.”

 Everyone quieted and looked up at Frank expectantly.

 “We – Vanessa, Joe, Nancy and I – would like to thank everyone here for all their hard work over the last few days to get everything ready for our big day tomorrow. The wedding is going to be absolutely amazing, and it’s due in large part to all of your help. We are especially grateful to our parents, without whom none of this would have been possible.”

 Joe picked up his plastic cup and raised it. “I’d like to make a toast. To all of our family and friends for being here with us on this very special occasion. Cheers!”

 “Cheers!”

 As glasses lowered, Frank said, “And I believe there is another announcement tonight.” Looking over at Biff and George, he raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that right, Biff? George? Care to share your good news?”

 Standing, Biff wrapped an arm around George. Both were beaming, but Biff was the one to speak, “George has agreed to marry me. No plans on a date yet. But we did talk to her folks, so I guess it’s safe to make the announcement.”

 “See, I told you they needed to talk,” Nancy hissed, a wide smile on her face as she clapped.

 “But was it totally necessary to have George digging through my underwear to get that to happen?” Frank asked.

 Looking up at him with a teasing smile, she replied, “No, but Joe and I agreed that it would serve you right for refusing to get involved.”

 He leaned down and kissed her nose. “It’s a good thing I love both of you.”

 The clapping had died down and talking again resumed. As they took their seats, Nancy’s face sobered, her gaze fixed out over the crowd.

 “Did you talk to Callie today?”

 Now he realized who Nancy was looking at. “Um, no, I didn’t get the chance, yet…”

 “I didn’t think so,” Nancy said. She turned no-nonsense blue eyes on him. “I guess we’ll just have to make the chance.”

 Frank cringed at the determination he could read in the set of her mouth. He was in for it.

 Andrea stood and clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention again.

 “Speaking for the parents of the brides and grooms, I would also like to extend my thanks to everyone here. That’s the end of the formal festivities for tonight. Everyone is welcome to hang out and visit, but remember we do have an early morning tomorrow. The girls are convening at the Hardys’ at eight a.m. to have hair and makeup done. We’ll have a light lunch, and then the photographer is due around one p.m. The boys –”

 Several deep voices sounded out of the crowd, “Men!”

 Andrea chuckled, “Right. The _men_ are convening here – Carson and Fenton will be handling lunch for you, and then you should arrive at the Hardys’ around three p.m. for your photo session. I expect guests will begin arriving around four thirty or five o’clock. Finally, if I could ask one last favor – please make sure you clear your place setting. It would be a huge help. Good night, everyone!”

 Nancy took Frank’s hand. “Let’s go mingle with our guests, honey.”

 Frank gave a resigned sigh as she led him directly toward Sam and Callie Kempfer.

 Nancy stopped in front of the couple, a wide smile on her face.

 “Callie, Sam, we were hoping we’d get a chance to say hello and thank you for all you’ve done. Weren’t we, Frank?”

 “Definitely, we really do appreciate it.”

 There was a brief, awkward silence, and then Frank felt Nan’s elbow in his side – none too gentle.

 He cleared his throat. “Hey, Cal, do you think I could have a word with you?”

 Callie’s mouth dropped open slightly and then slammed shut.

 “That would be _her_ idea?” Callie asked as her arms slowly crossed.

 Nancy looked at Cal with a tight smile. “Yes, it would. So obviously I think it’s a stellar idea.” Turning to Cal’s husband Nancy said, “Sam, would you care to get a drink with me?”

 “I’d love to,” Sam said quickly. He gave Callie a sharp glance, and Frank took some comfort in the fact that Sam had apparently been pushing the ‘talk it out’ issue with Callie, too.

 With a slight pang of jealousy that he knew was totally unfounded, Frank watched Sam link arms with Nancy and walk away – leaving Callie and him looking at each other in uncomfortable silence.

 Just how was he supposed to start this conversation? Even after his lengthy discussion with Nan yesterday he was only marginally closer to understanding just what it was she expected him to ‘clear the air’ about.

 “She’s braver than I am.”

 Callie’s words startled Frank out of his internal battle. “Huh?”

 Callie began walking to a relatively quiet spot behind the garage where several white plastic lawn chairs were stacked. Frank followed.

 She shrugged. “I never would have let Sam go off for a quiet little talk with his ex-girlfriend the night before our wedding.”

 “Oh.” Frank’s brows furrowed. Where was she going with this?

 Callie stopped and stared at him as if waiting for something and then gave a dry laugh. “But then, unlike me, I suppose she knows she doesn’t have anything to worry about, right?”

 Teeth clenched, Frank cast an uneasy glance at Callie and responded carefully, “I don’t think you had anything to worry about, either, Cal. I was at your wedding. Remember?”

 “I remember.”

 Frank felt the heat creep up his neck at the amused smile on Callie’s face. He unstacked two of the chairs and held one out to her. She accepted it with a murmured ‘thanks.’

 He dropped into the chair and watched as Callie carefully brushed hers off before taking a seat.

 “You know what bothers me the most, Cal…”

 The vague amusement was replaced by definite unease – the smile disappearing, the brow wrinkling and her hands wringing together in her lap.

 “I’ve spoken to all of the girls, Frank,” she said in a rush. “And each one claims they have had nothing to do with the pranks happening to Nancy. I may be naïve, but I believe them. I just can’t believe any of them could be responsible.”

 Frank stared at Callie. Obviously they weren’t on the same wavelength. In fact, he wondered if they were participating in the same conversation.

 “Well, that wasn’t what I was leading up to, but…” Frank leaned forward, elbows on knees, and looked at her intently. “In all honesty, I don’t really want to believe it, either. But someone has to be responsible, and when they stole the rings, knocked Nan unconscious, and then drugged her it went from harmless pranking to maliciousness. How would you feel if this kind of crap happened to you days before your wedding?”

 “Lousy,” Callie whispered. “I’m so sorry, Frank. I never meant for anything like this to happen.”

 Sitting back, Frank looked at her wide-eyed. “It isn’t your fault, Cal. I don’t know who’s doing it, but you were eliminated as a suspect from the get go. You were at Joe and Van’s when the rings were stolen.”

 Callie’s lips formed a thin line, and her response began with a bitter edge, “But I was on the suspect list? I can’t believe you would think…”

 Stopping herself, she looked into Frank’s eyes. He was certain she could see the intense confusion he was feeling. It would have been hard to hide.

 “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I know you don’t think I’m responsible, Frank. But if one of the girls did do those horrible things to Nancy, then I think I should accept at least part of the blame.”

 “That’s ridiculous, Callie,” he said with a shake of his head. “You didn’t knock Nan over the head and I’m certain you didn’t slip her the Rohypnol. What makes you think you’re to blame?”

 He wasn’t sure about deciphering the look on Cal’s face. Anger, guilt and self-doubt with a touch of confusion and hurt, perhaps – Joe would be able to tell him, he was way better at reading people than Frank was. But this was Callie, and there was a time when he had known her better than just about anyone else. How could anyone feel all those emotions at once without losing their composure?

 There were several seconds of intense silence before Callie finally took a deep breath and spoke, her tone carefully controlled.

 “After we broke up and you left for GWU, I was… well, I was pretty upset. Fair or not, I guess I blamed Nancy for the whole mess and I wasn’t exactly shy about sharing my feelings with my friends.”

 Running hands back through his hair, Frank took a deep breath, himself, and blew it out, his anger at the events of the last few days trumping his usual calm.

 “Nancy? What the hell? _You_ were the one that broke up with me, Cal, remember? Nancy wasn’t even around.”

 “She was always around, always on your mind. Don’t try to deny it, Frank Hardy!” Callie’s face turned red. “And I had to talk to somebody about what happened or I would have self-destructed.”

 She launched out of her chair, tipping it over. Arms wrapped around herself protectively, she turned her back on him.

 Frank stared at her in shock as the pieces started falling in place. Now he felt like a real ass. He stood and put his hands on her shoulders.

 “I’m so sorry, Cal. I never meant to hurt you.”

 Her hand went to her face, swiping at tears, he was certain. She shrugged his hands off and turned to look at him.

 “I was there, you know,” she said quietly.

 “Where?”

 “I was at the airport when you arrived home from Egypt.”

 Frank stepped back and frowned at her. “No, Van was sick and you two ended up not coming, remember?”

 “Van was sick, that’s true,” Callie said as she started pacing slowly back and forth in a tight pattern. “But I decided to come to the airport alone and surprise you.”

 “You were there?” Frank shook his head. “I didn’t see you.”

 “No, you didn’t,” Callie said, a rueful smile curving her lips. “You only had eyes for her.”

 “Nancy?” Frank thought back to their return from Egypt. Nancy had transferred from international to a domestic flight back to Chicago, but she hadn’t had a layover so she’d had to head straight to her connecting flight. They really hadn’t had much of a chance to say goodbye that day.

 Callie’s responding laugh was brittle as she stopped and turned an accusing look on him.

 “Of course – Nancy. I couldn’t have been more than five feet away from you in that airport and you didn’t even notice me because you were looking at her. It was painful to watch, Frank. The longing and sadness in your eyes – like you were losing a part of yourself because she was leaving. You never looked at me that way.”

 Stunned into silence, Frank didn’t know how to respond. It was hard to believe that she had come to the airport that day and not made herself known – at the time he had been upset that the girls weren’t coming to greet them after nearly a month away. But that was far less disturbing than the fact that she had been able to see the truth in what he recalled as a quick and simple goodbye. She had seen a truth that he had still been blind to – and had continued to ignore long afterwards.

 “See,” Callie said. “You can’t even deny it.”

 Lowering his eyes from her challenging gaze, he sighed. “Actually, I did, Cal.”

 She didn’t seem to have heard him.

 “What I want to know, Frank, is what really happened in Egypt,” Callie said, her tone accusing. “And was it the first time, or had you been cheating on me all along?”

 Frank’s head jerked up. “I never cheated on you. It was a kiss – one kiss – that was it. And Nan and I both agreed that it was a mistake.”

 “Just one kiss?” Callie asked in surprise.

 “That’s it, Cal, I swear.” But if that was really it, why did he feel so guilty?

 A brief war played itself out on Callie’s face and then it settled into a soft, rueful smile. “But it really wasn’t a mistake, was it, Frank? I mean, in the end, you’re with her, not me.”

 Frank ran his hands down his face as he sat back. “Geez, Cal, I feel like such an idiot.”

 Callie chuckled. “You aren’t alone.”

 “What?”

 “All this time I told myself that you cheated on me and our break up was your fault. But I think I always knew, deep down, that you would never cheat on me.” She smiled at him. “You were never that kind of guy.”

 Shaking his head, Frank admitted, “I may not have cheated on you, but I definitely lied – to myself and to you. I thought I could come back, renew my commitment to our relationship, and make everything alright. But no matter how hard I tried, it just didn’t work. Apparently you recognized that before I did, because it took you saying ‘I do’ to Sam for me to let go.”

 Callie gave a bark of a laugh. “Maybe I wasn’t so far off with the Type-A personality excuse I gave Nan, huh? You and I were both so hell-bent on getting our relationship right that we failed to think about whether it was the right thing to do.”

 “Is that what it was?” Frank asked with an amused smirk. “I thought you broke up with me for my own good. At least that’s what Nan thinks. She thinks she should thank you.”

 That made Callie laugh out loud. “Wow! I wish my motives had been that altruistic. The fact of the matter is that after watching you go through the motions for a couple months, I decided I deserved something more. I deserved to have someone look at me the way I saw you look at Nancy.”

 Frank smiled. “True enough. And you found that in Sam, Cal. You’re both very lucky.”

 Callie nodded, her tone thoughtful as she said, “We are lucky.” She touched Frank’s hand and then let hers drop. “So are you and Nancy. I think in the end things have turned out exactly the way they were meant to turn out.”

 “Yeah. But I’m still sorry I hurt you,” Frank said quietly. “I never meant to do that.”

 “I know,” Callie said. “Do you think we could put this all behind us and be friends again, Frank? I’ve really missed you.”

 “I didn’t think we ever stopped being friends.”

 “Then we should start acting like it,” she said. “When you and Nan get back from your honeymoon, we’ll set a time for you to come up to Garrison for dinner with Sam and me.”

 “It’s a date.”


	14. Pre-wedding Purloining

Vanessa couldn’t help grinning as Nancy stared at herself in the mirror. Van didn’t blame her – the transformation was absolutely amazing. Cheryl, who had given Nancy the original, funky haircut, had promised it would be fine for the wedding and it was.

 Cheryl had arrived that morning and brought a whole army of beauticians with her. Even Laura and Van’s mom had gotten in on the beautifying. Nancy turned around and gave the beautician an impulsive, enthusiastic hug.

 “You are a miracle worker, Cheryl! Thank you so, so much!”

 “You are very welcome, Nancy.”

 It was impossible to tell that Nancy’s hair was varying lengths. Cheryl had added extensions, matched flawlessly to Nancy’s natural hair color, and then swept it back into a loose bun with small white roses and baby’s breath weaved into it. Soft ringlets framed her face and fell from the center of the bun.

 “And you’re sure you don’t mind coming tomorrow morning to give me a cut before we leave on our honeymoon?” Nancy looked at her hopefully.

 Van had known Nan was ready to rid herself of the funky bob and get a more conventional cut. In fact, Vanessa had been the one to suggest that maybe Cheryl could come early tomorrow morning, before they left for their honeymoon. After all, she knew Nancy would never ask. She wasn’t one to inconvenience another person, and an early morning cut on a Sunday was an inconvenience. But Van also knew that Cheryl would be more than happy to oblige.

 “It’s no problem, really,” Cheryl said with a smile.

 Looking over Nan’s head into the mirror, Van said, “It’s gorgeous. I can’t wait to see the final product.”

 Nancy smiled warmly at Van’s reflection in the mirror. With a knot offset to one side at the nape of her neck, Van was very pleased with her own hairdo. White ribbon had been woven into the knot, and her hair, with the long strands of loose ribbon, was pulled forward to fall across her left shoulder and down her front.

 “You both look beautiful,” Callie said with a laugh. “Now get your bridal butts out of the way. It’s the bridesmaids’ turn at the hair station. You should head to the manicure station.”

 She looped her arms through George’s and Bess’s and led them forward.

 “Nails?” Nancy glanced down at her short nails and grimaced. “Mine are too short right now for polish.”

 Another beautician urged Nancy and Vanessa to seats.

 “No, they aren’t. Have a seat and we’ll get you all fixed up.”

 It was almost noon by the time all of them were coiffed, painted and primped. Laura and Andrea had prepared a simple lunch of chicken salad sandwiches with a summer salad.

 As they were cleaning up from the meal, Callie pointed out the time.

 “We should get dressed. The photographer will be here soon.”

 The doorbell rang just as Andrea exclaimed, “Shit! I forgot the wedding dresses at home.”

 Laura wiped her hands on a towel and ran to answer the door, saying, “Well, someone will just have to go get them.”

 “But if that’s the photographer, we’re going to want to get pictures. None of us can leave,” Vanessa sounded panicked.

 Callie patted Van on the shoulder. “Chill out, girl. I’ll just call Liz. I’m sure she’d be willing to go get the dresses for us.”

 “Liz. Yeah. That’s a great idea, Cal!” Van said with a relieved smile.

 “I’ll call her now,” Callie said.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 The bell was ringing and Joe hurried to Andrea’s front door. They were just wrapping up lunch. Carson and Joe’s father had grilled their entire meal, including burgers, zucchini, yellow squash, onions, and potatoes.

 He opened the door to find Liz.

 “Um, hey, Joe.”

 “Hi, Liz. What can I do for you?”

 “Well, Callie called and asked me to pick up the wedding dresses. Andrea forgot them this morning.”

 “I hope you know where they are, because I haven’t got a clue,” Joe said, stepping aside so Liz could enter.

 She smiled. “Yeah, Cal told me they were in the spare bedroom, on the left side of the hall, in the closet. I’ll just run up and get them so I can get out of your hair. I think they’re in a hurry for them. The photographer is there.”

 “Be my guest,” Joe said. “Need help?”

 “No!” Liz swatted at him playfully. “The groom isn’t allowed to see the dress before the ceremony.”

 “All these rules,” Joe muttered.

 “You can’t watch, Joe. Just go back to whatever you were doing.”

 “You can let yourself out, right, Liz?” Joe called up the stairs to her retreating back.

 “Yes, Joe!”

 Joe shrugged his acceptance and headed out back. His brother looked up as he walked onto the porch.

 “Who was it?”

 “Liz. Andrea forgot the wedding dresses this morning,” Joe said.

 “Oh,” Frank said, and then looked around. “Hey, has anyone seen Chet?”

 Biff smirked. “He had to go take a call from his new girlfriend.”

 Joe joined Biff in the snickering. They had all known Chet was seeing someone but their friend had been very cagey about revealing her identity.

 Frank’s surprise was evident and he asked, “Lacey?”

 “Who?” Biff and Joe chorused. What was Frank talking about?

 “Chet’s girlfriend,” Frank said.

 Biff said, “Maddy.”

 Joe nodded and looked at his brother curiously. “You remember Maddy Flores, don’t you, Frank?”

 “Maddy, right,” Frank said, but his brows were still furrowed.

 Joe sidled next to his brother as everyone went back to their meals. “What’s going on, bro?”

 “I’m not sure, yet,” Frank said. “I’ll have to let you know.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Nancy watched warily as Liz walked in and looped the hangers on the garment bags over the top of the closet door in the Hardys’ guest room. The animosity from Liz had grown steadily worse since she’d met her and Nancy had decided to just stay out of her way.

 “Oh, Liz, you’re such a dear for running to get these for me,” Andrea said. She unzipped the first bag to reveal Vanessa’s gown and took it out carefully, handing it to Callie to take to Vanessa who already had on her crinoline and strapless bra.

 Andrea unzipped the next garment bag and gasped. “What? Where’s the dress?”

 All eyes turned toward the closet as Andrea stepped back. The second bag held a full length winter dress coat. Nancy blinked her eyes, hoping it was her imagination.

 “Maybe she picked up the wrong garment bag?” she finally asked hopefully, her voice choked.

 Andrea shook her head. “This coat was hanging in the back of the closet. Someone would have had to deliberately take the wedding dress out and replace it with this.”

 Vanessa found her voice, first. “Liz, how could you?”

 “Wha... what?” Liz turned shocked eyes on Van. “You don’t think I did it? I wouldn’t!”

 Nancy turned and studied the young reporter’s face. The shock and dismay there appeared to be genuine.

 “Nancy, really, I mean, I know we haven’t exactly hit it off, but I didn’t remove your dress. And if it was in that closet, I think I would have noticed it. Someone else must have stolen it!” Liz said earnestly.

 At that moment the door opened and Laura came in, leading Hannah Gruen.

 “Look who’s here! Now we should have plenty of time to primp, girls.” She stopped and looked around the room curiously. “Why all the shocked faces?”

 “Someone has stolen Nan’s wedding dress,” George said tightly.

 “What?”

 Hannah’s comforting presence helped deaden the shock Nancy felt over the latest turn of events. She listened numbly as George related what had happened over the last few minutes.

 “Alright,” Laura said. “Before we start accusing anyone of anything, let’s make sure the dress isn’t hiding in plain sight in one of the closets at Andrea’s.”

 Several minutes later, Laura flipped her cell shut. “Ok, it’s official. The dress is gone.”

 Nancy turned away to look down at the rows of chairs lined up in front of the gazebo, tears clouding her vision. This was the last straw. She was furious, and hurt, and disgusted. Her mother’s wedding dress was gone. Now what?

 “Hush, honey. It will be alright.” Hannah’s soft touch shook Nancy out of the spiraling thoughts.

 She squared her shoulders. _You are marrying a wonderful man – heirloom wedding dress or no,_ she told herself sternly. In just a few hours she would be exchanging vows with Frank – that was what mattered. What she was wearing at the time was less critical than the event anyway. That reminded her of his words at the emergency room in Groton a few weeks before. She started to chuckle, recalling the entire conversation.

 Vanessa had moved to her other side and put a hand on her shoulder. “Nan, are you alright?”

 Nancy turned her smile on Van. “Do you remember what Frank said in the ER in Groton after my comment about being the bride from hell?”

 Van’s eyes widened thoughtfully and then she nodded, “That you could show up at the altar bald and naked and he didn’t care as long as you said ‘I do.’”

 “Looks like that may have been prescient,” Nancy said, barely stifling an almost irresistible urge to break out into inappropriate guffaws.

 It was obvious Van was fighting a similar internal struggle. “Well, like Joe said, I think Frank would like it if you showed up at the altar naked.”

 “I think Joe might appreciate similar attire, or lack thereof, on you,” Nancy said and then pressed her lips into a thin line, though a very unladylike snort escaped.

 Eyes meeting, Van and Nancy could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

 Hannah chuckled. “That’s my girl!”

 Laura zipped up the garment bag and turned to them, a slight smile lightening the concern on her face. “Though I am quite certain that neither of my sons would mind, unfortunately I think the guests would be rather appalled if the brides walked down the aisle naked.”

 Nancy got herself under control and walked purposely toward the door. “Do you think Betty would have a dress off the rack that would fit well enough, Laura?”

 “I might have an even better option.” Laura put an arm around Nancy’s shoulders and squeezed affectionately. “You are an amazing young woman, Nancy.”

 “No,” Nancy said with a smile. “Just bound and determined to marry your son, Laura.”

 Laura led her out of the room and down the hall. In the master bedroom, she walked to the foot of the bed, where a cedar chest sat.

 Motioning Nancy over, Laura opened the chest and lifted out a sealed plastic bag. She opened the bag and shook out the simple satin wedding dress from inside.

 Holding it out to Nancy, she said, “It isn’t nearly as elegant and nice as your mother’s was, but I think it should fit you fairly well.”

 Nancy accepted the dress, tears again blurring her vision. “Oh, Laura, are you certain?”

 “Of course I’m certain,” Laura said. “You’re the closest I’ve ever been to having a daughter, Nancy. I would be honored to have you wear my wedding dress today.”

 Nancy held it up in front of her body and turned to the full-length mirror on the back of the bedroom door. The dress length was perfect, and it did look like it was about the right size. The dress was a simple satin sheath, similar to her mother’s gown but even less frilly, with an unadorned scoop neckline that went over the shoulder to a deeply scooped back. The skirt hung from a straight, cinched waist, falling in soft folds with a mini-train in the back.

 “Oh, Laura, it’s so beautiful,” Nancy breathed. “How can I ever thank you?”

 Laura put her hands on Nancy’s shoulders and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. “You already have. You make my oldest son very happy. That’s all the thanks I need.”

 Nancy smiled. “That goes both ways.”

 “As it should, dear. As it should.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank looked up as Chet joined him in the spare room he had used at Andrea’s the previous night. It was nearly two thirty and they really needed to get dressed and head over to the house.

 “Sorry about that,” Chet said, hanging up his tuxedo. “I can’t believe I forgot to tell Maddy what time the ceremony started.”

 “That’s like your third call with Maddy,” Frank said.

 “Yeah. I just asked her to the wedding and reception yesterday, and I keep forgetting little details she needs to know.” Chet shook his head in self-disgust.

 “I’m confused, Chet,” Frank said. “I thought you were dating Lacey.”

 “Oh, yeah, about that…” Chet took a deep breath. “You remember how that wine bottle was broken in your picnic basket the other day?”

 “Yeah…”

 Frank listened intently as Chet related the story of his discussion with Maddy and the resulting confrontation between Maddy and Lacey.

 “It was just weird, Frank,” Chet said. “I mean, why the heck did Lacey lead me on if she didn’t like me in the first place? I really don’t get it.”

 “Do you think Lacey broke the bottle?” Frank asked.

 “Maddy seems certain of it,” Chet said. “I suppose I should be grateful to Lacey, though. I mean, she did make me see what’s been right in front of me all this time. After she left I went and found Mads and we had a long talk. I guess we’ve both been holding back, afraid to ruin our friendship. You know what I mean?”

 Frank chuckled. “I know _exactly_ what you mean, buddy.”

 “Yeah,” Chet smiled. “So it wasn’t all bad. In fact, Lacey’s history, so I guess you could say it’s all good. But I can’t help but wonder why she went out with me in the first place.”

 “Wait a minute,” Frank felt like he’d just been sucker punched as a memory from his first talk about Lacey with Chet suddenly surfaced, turning on a light bulb. “Wasn’t Lacey’s last name Jackson?”

 “Yeah, Lacey Jackson. Why?”

 “Is she tall, with long white-blonde hair and ice blue eyes?”

 Yeah,” Chet’s eyebrows furrowed. “When did you meet her?”

 Frank ground his teeth in irritation. “I’ve known her for two freaking years. I have to call Con.”


	15. Nerves & Nuts

Vanessa nearly jumped out of her skin when a knock sounded at the door. The closer the time for the wedding came the more nervous she became.

 Con’s deep voice sounded from the hallway. “Um, is everyone decent in there? I really need to talk to you.”

 Still dressed in her street clothes, Nancy turned from the window and hurried to the door. She stopped with a hand on the door knob and looked around. “Is everyone covered up?”

 Murmurs of ‘yes’ were the response, so Nancy tore the door open. Con looked in tentatively before finally stepping over the threshold.

 He cleared his throat. “Um, yes, well, I thought you’d like to know. Frank called and we now know that the culprit we should be looking for is Fawn Jackson.”

 Gasps of surprise greeted his announcement. Van even forgot her own mounting nervousness and turned to face the detective. “How can you be so sure?” she asked.

 Con held up a photo of a pretty young woman and tapped it. “Chet Morton confirmed that the young woman he’s been dating for the last couple weeks is this woman – Lacey Fawn Jackson. The same woman Frank has known at GWU for two years. Unfortunately, she’s had an inside track on all of the planning for the wedding via Mr. Morton.”

 Van groaned. “Poor Chet – she was using him to get information about Frank and Nancy. He must feel terrible.”

 “I’m afraid so,” Con said. He handed the picture to Nancy, who was standing closest to him. “I want you each to take a good look at this photo. If you think you see this woman, or if you see anything suspicious, anything at all, I want you to let Char, me or one of my officers know. We are currently monitoring the entrance to the wedding as well as the tent perimeter, but being outside, it’s going to be nearly impossible to keep an eye on every route into the backyard. Especially with those damn woods back there.”

 Dressed in her tea-length black bridesmaid dress and black high heels, George looked comical with her feet planted shoulder-width apart and arms akimbo.

 “You don’t really think she would have the guts to walk into this wedding, do you?”

 Nancy’s face reflected grave concern as she turned to look at her maid of honor. “Unfortunately, I don’t think guts have anything to do with it, George. This woman is obviously unstable, and unstable people are inherently unpredictable.”

 “And dangerous,” Con said.

 Nancy nodded solemnly. “Where’s Frank?”

 Con took a deep breath. “He’s downstairs, and he’s just as worried about you.”

 Bess was wringing her hands, her pretty face anxious. “Isn’t there something we can do to make sure she doesn’t crash the wedding?”

 “Yes, you can keep your eyes open, and stay alert. Other than that, let Char, the other officers and me worry about it. Ok?” Con’s gaze swept the room and then settled on Nancy. “Ok?”

 Seeing the stubborn set of Nancy’s jaw, Vanessa figured that Con’s focus was appropriately placed.

 Putting a hand on Nancy’s shoulder, Con said firmly, “Shouldn’t you be getting dressed?”

 “I am dressed,” Nancy said.

 “Your dress is almost ready, dear,” Betty said from the corner of the room. Laura had called the seamstress who had gladly offered to come help with the emergency preparation of Laura’s wedding dress for Nancy to wear in the ceremony. She was currently running the steamer to get the last of the wrinkles out.

 Nancy crossed her arms, and Van could swear she heard the young detective’s teeth grinding. She gave a curt nod. “I’ll be ready when the time comes.”

 “Good.” Con gave her shoulder a squeeze and turned to leave. “Don’t forget to yell if you see anything suspicious.”

 Vanessa turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Callie’s hand came to rest on her back, giving her a comforting pat.

 “It’ll be alright, Van,” Cal said.

 With a tight little smile, Vanessa said, “It wouldn’t be the Hardy boys’ wedding without a little excitement, now, would it?”

 Callie sighed. “No. I suppose not.”

 Vanessa gave her reflection a stern nod and murmured to herself, “This is what you signed up for when you said ‘yes’ to Joe Hardy’s proposal. For better or worse.”

 Betty held up the dress. She had made some minor alterations to take the dress in slightly at the waist so it didn’t sag in the back. “Alright, Nancy, let’s see how this fits.”

 Nancy stripped quickly and stepped into the dress. Betty hooked a series of eight satin-buttoned eyelets that formed the dress closure at the small of Nancy’s back and then stood back. Stepping forward, she tugged at the skirt and then clicked her tongue.

 “Not quite enough.”

 She pinned a couple of places and then patted Nancy’s arm.

 “Alright, dear, take it off again. This last little adjustment should only take me a few minutes and then you can get dressed.”

 Laura and George helped Nancy extract herself from the dress without getting stuck by a pin. Nancy dressed again and went to stand at the window overlooking the backyard. Vanessa could tell by the stiff way she held herself that Nancy was still thinking about what Con had told them. As a strained and anxious silence fell over the room it was apparent that everyone was similarly affected.

 “I am ending this!”

 Vanessa jumped to her feet and turned in time to watch as Nancy swung from the window. Her gaze furious as she stormed out the door.

 Bess and George looked at each other and hurried after their friend.

 Vanessa rushed to the window, wondering what Nancy had seen that had prompted her outburst. Scanning the crowd below carefully, she recognized everyone there as family and friends. She sighed.

 Obviously, Nancy saw something she didn’t.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 George followed Nancy out the front door of the house, with Bess hot on her heels.

 “What did you see, Nan?” George grabbed her friend’s arm.

 “I saw a flash of something back in the woods. She’s back there, George. I know she is. I want this over. Now.”

 Rachel and Bryan came hurrying over.

 “Is everything alright?” Rachel asked.

 “What are you doing out here?” Bess asked. “Aren’t they seating the guests yet?”

 Bryan nodded. “Yes, but Con thought it might be less disconcerting for the guests if they weren’t greeted by uniformed constables. So he asked if Rachel and I would mind watching the front door.”

 “Especially since we know Fawn better than they do,” Rachel added. “We’ll be more likely to recognize her, even if she tries to disguise herself.”

 “Where is Con?” Nancy asked.

 “He, Char, and a couple of officers are patrolling the tent perimeter,” Rachel said.

 “Do you know if he stationed anyone along the path through the woods?” Nancy asked intently.

 “He considered it, but given the way those paths snake through the undergrowth, he decided it would be fruitless,” Bryan said.

 “That’s where she is,” Nancy said. “I’m certain of it.”

 Nancy looked at her watch, and George could see the wheels turning in her head. This could get interesting.

 Bess had obviously recognized it, too. “No, Nancy. I know exactly what you’re thinking, and you don’t have time.”

 “Personally, I would feel much better if I knew Fawn was in handcuffs when I said ‘I do’ – can you blame me?” Nancy crossed her arms and leveled Bess with a challenging glare.

 Reaching down, George slipped off her dress shoes and ran inside. She reappeared a minute later in her tennis shoes. “Alright, Nan. If you’re so sure, let’s go. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can get into your wedding dress.”

 Nancy’s face lit up with a determined smile. “Thanks, George. I think the best way to do this would be for you to approach from the Jefferson trail head while I approach from Washington.”

 “Only one problem,” George said. “I don’t know where the trail starts.”

 Three kids materialized from behind the neighbor’s fence.

 “We can show you,” Keely said.

 “And we can help!” Will added enthusiastically. “Keely, Kody and I can cover the other exits from the woods. That way she can’t get past us.”

 Nancy shook her head uncertainly. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Fawn is not stable and she could be violent. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

 “We promise not to confront her,” Keely said. “But we can watch, and let you know if we see anything.”

 Will dropped his backpack to the ground and unzipped it. “I even brought our spare walkie-talkies – you and George can each take one so we can stay in contact.”

 “Give me the third,” Bryan said. “Rachel, you had better go in and warn Con what’s going on. He isn’t going to like this.”

 “There isn’t time to wait,” Nancy said, looking at her watch again.

 George nodded and took the walkie-talkie that Will held out to her. “Especially if we’re going to finish this and get you down the aisle in time to say ‘I do.’”

 “That is imperative,” Nancy agreed with a smile.

 George reflected her friend’s gung-ho grin.

 Bess shook her head. “I thought we outgrew this kind of crap.”

 Nancy and George both looked at her.

 “Are you coming or not?” they chorused.

 Kody took Bess’s hand, a star-struck smile on his face. “You can come with me. I’ll keep you safe.”

 Nancy clapped her hands together. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

nhnhnhhnhnh

Frank jumped to his feet when Con came striding through the back door grim-faced and muttering. Joe, Biff and Chet all gathered at his side.

“Is everything alright?” Frank asked, his mounting nerves not helped at all by the latest developments with Fawn. “Is Nancy ok?”

 Con pressed his lips together. Frank could tell he didn’t want to answer the question.

 “Ah, geez, what now?” Frank asked.

 “That little filly of yours is a pain in the ass, that’s what,” Con said. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her back.”

 “Back from where?” Frank felt panic setting in.

 Joe pushed forward, his voice anxious. “Did psycho-wench kidnap her?”

 Con shook his head. “Nothing that earth shattering. She apparently saw something back in the woods and took it upon herself to go check it out – with her bridesmaids tagging along, no less. You two just stay put. I’m going to retrieve her, now.”

 As Con walked through the kitchen and toward the front of the house, Frank heard him muttering to himself. “Turn her over my knee and give her a good licking, is what I’m going to do. Running off without coming to me like I damn well told her she should…”

 Frank figured the guffaw he had to stifle was a pure case of nerves. Then he turned and met his brother’s blue-eyed gaze. Joe snorted, his control crumbling as they heard the front door slam. The brothers dissolved into laughter with Chet and Biff looking at them like they were nuts.

 “I think I’d pay to see Con try to give Nan a paddling,” Joe choked out before bursting into another fit of snorts and unmanly giggles.

 “You and me, both,” Frank gasped.

 Joe pointed at him, though it took several deep breaths before he had enough control of his amusement to actually verbalize, “I’m tellin’ Nan you said that!”

 “Don’t you dare!”

 Biff smirked. “At least you can laugh about it.”

 Frank straightened and smiled at his friend mischievously. “You better learn to laugh about it, too, bud. After all, George went with her.”

 “That may be,” Biff said. “But I’m willing to bet it’s Nan that put the fool idea in her head.”

 With a shrug, Frank nodded agreement.

 And in all honesty, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Nancy waved as Will left her at the trail head on Washington Street. There was a beat-up old Yugo sitting at the curb. Not the kind of car one normally saw in this neighborhood. With a satisfied smile, she started into the woods, keeping as quiet as possible. If the others flushed Fawn and sent her running, she would, in all likelihood, run right into Nancy.

 Nancy relished the thought as she moved further along the path that led through the tangle of undergrowth and trees. At this point, she was ready to take out her mounting frustration of the last few days on someone, and Fawn was an appropriate target. She was the cause, after all.

 She passed the fork in the trail that led to DiLeilos’. Will keyed the radio and when she looked back he waved to her from part way down the path. Fawn wouldn’t be escaping in that direction without being seen.

 She was passing the overgrown taxus bushes behind the Arnolds’ when she heard an enraged shriek.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 They all heard the scream. Joe looked over at his brother and saw the alarm on his face. The crowd gathered in the backyard fell eerily quiet.

 Frank stood and bolted across the kitchen. Fortunately, Chet was standing closest to the back door, and caught his friend in a bear hug, keeping him from running out.

 “Hang on, Frank. Your mother told Biff and me to make sure you and Joe stayed put, remember? You know Con’s on his way. He’ll take care of it.”

 “He walked out the front door one minute ago,” Frank said, giving Chet a desperate glare. “That scream was behind the house. We’ll make better time going through the woods.”

  “Whoa, bud, none of this ‘we’ stuff.” Biff put a firm hand on Frank’s shoulder and pulled him back into the kitchen, pushing him into a chair.

 Joe smirked as he watched his friends manhandling his brother. It was a good thing Frank liked Biff and Chet too well to hurt them.

 “Joe…”

 His brother looked desperately to him for support and Joe moved next to him. Putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, Joe said, “I know, bro, but that scream was definitely not Nan. Besides, I personally have no doubt that Nancy can handle herself against Fawn.”

 Biff gave Frank a hopeful little smile. “How about if you stay here with Joe and let your best men take care of this? That way your mother doesn’t skin Chet and me alive for letting you leave.”

 “Yeah,” Chet said. “Besides, it’s bad luck for you to see the bride before the wedding, remember?”

 Joe gave Frank an apologetic grimace. “I understand you have this overwhelming desire to go to your damsel’s aid. But you know she can take care of herself. I think maybe we should stay here.”

 Frank groaned. “I can’t believe this –”

 “Does that mean you’ll wait here?” Chet asked.

 “Fine,” Frank ground out. “But you and Hooper better get out there and make sure Nan walks down that aisle on time!”

 “On our way, bud!” Biff said.

 Joe couldn’t help thinking that that was way too easy. Chet led the way out of the kitchen at a run. Frank sat still for an amazing sixty seconds before standing and striding to the door.

 Joe followed him.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Laura had a firm grip on Fenton’s arm.

 “Oh no you don’t. Con’s already on his way, you let him handle this,” she hissed at her husband.

 She glanced toward the house and saw Chet and Biff head across the deck. She snagged Tony with her free hand.

 “Tony, take Phil and run to the kitchen. Make sure those two boys of mine don’t leave.”

 “Yes, ma’am.”

 “Fenton, can I trust you to stay put while I go corral your sons?” Laura cast a severe look at her husband.

 “I’ll keep an eye on him, Laura,” Carson said.

 Laura looked at Fenton’s friend narrowly. She liked Carson, but he and Fenton were two peas in a pod.

 “You better go, Laura, before Frank and Joe convince Tony and Phil to let them go,” Fenton said.

 nh

 As Laura hurried down the aisle, Fenton looked at his best friend. “Think I’m clear?”

 Both men watched Laura step between Tony and Phil, hands on hips.

 “Yeah, I think you’re good to go,” Carson said. “She’s going to be occupied keeping Frank from leaving that kitchen.”

 Fenton nodded. “I’ll be back in a flash – with your daughter.”

 “Thank you.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 The tall, thin form exploded from between two shrubs and launched itself at Nancy, who didn’t even have time to brace for the impact. In the blink of an eye, she found herself pinned to the ground under a crazy-eyed woman in a wedding dress.

 It took a few seconds for it to register that she recognized the woman, and the dress. The sight of her mother’s wedding gown, smudged with dirt and grass stains, enraged Nancy. She wrenched one of her arms free and backhanded her across the face with enough force to knock her off-balance, which freed Nancy’s other arm.

 Nancy twisted her body forcefully, depositing Fawn on the ground in an inglorious heap; and then rolled in the opposite direction, giving herself enough room to leap to her feet. Turning, Nancy faced her opponent in a standard defensive stance.

 “He’s mine!” Fawn growled as she pushed herself up, watching Nancy with a feral glare. “You don’t deserve Frank Hardy.”

 Fawn didn’t give Nancy a chance to respond, flying at her again. But this time Nancy was ready for the attack, and met the uncoordinated onslaught with a sweeping block, followed by a double roundhouse kick that took them both to the ground.

 Nancy came down hard on Fawn’s back and swiftly got the woman’s neck into an unyielding scissor hold with her legs.

 “Neither do you,” Nancy said through gritted teeth. “Lucky for me, I’m the one he loves.”

 “Let go of me, you bitch!” Fawn’s nails clawed at Nancy’s leg, trying to break the strangle hold.

 George and Bess came running up, followed closely by Biff and Chet.

 Biff strode forward and took a firm grip on Fawn’s arms. Only then did Nancy loosen her hold. Biff hauled the still-struggling woman to her feet.

 “Be quiet, you,” Biff growled, giving Fawn a warning shake. Looking down at Nancy, he asked, “Are you alright?”

 Nancy got to her feet and felt herself truly relax for the first time in several days. She flashed the big blond an impish grin.

 “Actually, I’m quite good. Thanks.”

 Chet stepped in front of Fawn, who quieted and flashed him a come-hither smile. “Chet, honey, I’m so glad you came –”

 “You have to be flipping kidding me,” Chet said with unusual venom. “I cannot believe you used me to get to my best friend!”

 Her lips turned up in an ugly smirk. “You were a means to an end, hon.” She struggled against Biff for a moment. “I want to see Frank. Where is he?”

 “He’s busy,” Biff snapped, jerking her around. “And he doesn’t want to see you.”

 “How can you be so sure?” Fawn purred.

 “Because, _hon_ ,” Biff said. “He told me. You’re a psycho wench and he doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

 “You’re lying,” Fawn growled.

 “No, I’m not,” Biff said evenly. “You’re nuts, you know that?”

 “You’re all just trying to keep us apart. Let me go! I’m telling you, Frank is mine.”

 “Actually, no, he’s not,” Nancy said irritably.

 Fawn glared at her. “Well, if I can’t have him, no one will. Trust me when I say, you had better let me go. Otherwise, you’ll be sorry!”

 Nancy pulled back a fist and slammed it into Fawn’s face. The blow didn’t knock her out, but it did shut her up.

 “The only thing I’m sorry about is that I didn’t do that earlier,” Nancy muttered.

 “Nice hook, Nancy,” Fenton said as he strode into the clearing while pulling out his cell phone.

 “Thanks.” Rubbing her knuckles, Nancy watched in satisfaction as Fawn’s head lolled back. “At least she’s quiet now.”

 Con came crashing into the little clearing, too. He took in the scene and pulled out a pair of cuffs. Slapping them on Fawn, he cast a reproving look at Nancy.

 “I’ll deal with you and your inability to follow direction later, young lady.” With an imploring look at Fenton, who was just finishing up a hurried call to Laura, Con added, “You’ll get this crew back where they belong, right, Fen?”

 Fenton snapped his phone shut and grinned. “If I don’t Laura will have my hide, Con.”

 Shoving Fawn down the trail toward Washington, Con added, “I’ll get statements later – I’ll need to talk to each of you!”

 As Con and his charge disappeared down the trail, Bess and George hurried to Nancy’s side. Bess shook her head and picked a particularly large twig out of Nancy’s hair.

 “Oh, Nancy, you’ve ruined all of Cheryl’s hard work,” Bess chided.

 George gave Nancy a once-over and shrugged. “Frank won’t care.”

 Nancy nodded in agreement and laughed.

 “Actually, I think he might like the Fawn-ass-kicker look.” Nancy struck a silly, muscle-man pose.

 A flash of light startled her, and she looked over to find Biff taking a picture with his cell phone. “I’m pretty sure you’re right, Nan. That is definitely a picture Frank will like.”

 Nancy crossed her arms and tried to give Biff a severe look, but she just couldn’t pull it off. She finally relented and said, “I guess it is worth memorializing that one for posterity.”

 Biff wrapped an arm around George, and chuckled. “Don’t worry, Nan. It is definitely a good look on you.”

 Nancy noticed that Fenton had walked over to Chet, who was gazing despondently down the trail where Con had disappeared.

 Fenton put a hand on Chet’s shoulder and gave him a little shake. “She’s not worth another thought, Chet.”

 Chet sighed. “I know. I just can’t believe I fell for it so easily.”

 “It’s that big ol’ heart of yours, bud,” Biff said with a knowing smile. “You’ve always been a sucker for a hard luck story. Don’t worry, though. Something tells me Maddy’ll be able to keep your nose clean from now on.”

 Mention of Maddy put a true smile back on Chet’s face, which turned slightly red. “Yeah, I’m sure she will.”

 “Alright, if we’re finished here,” Fenton said, looking at his watch pointedly, “we had better get back to the house. The ceremony is due to start in fifteen minutes.”

 “Oh my gosh!” Nancy took off down the path at a run. “I have to get dressed!”


	16. Vows & Values

As Joe watched, Frank checked his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes and then resumed his vigil on the trail head. Their mother had urged them to the end of the aisle behind the tents as soon as Dad had called. That call had come in the nick of time. Joe had actually started to worry that his obedient brother would plow their mother over and take off for the woods.

 Unfortunately, their father and the others still hadn’t returned and they were due to walk down the aisle in about fifteen minutes.

 “Dad!”

 Frank’s barely-contained shout startled Joe out of his thoughts. Their father came jogging across the yard with Chet and Biff close behind.

 He walked straight up to Frank and spun him around to face the crowd, who of course were all staring.

 “It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, remember?”

 “But, Dad…”

 Joe snickered at the sight of his brother craning his neck trying to catch a glimpse of Nancy while his father held tight to his shoulders and Biff and Chet effectively blocked his view.

 His father gave Frank’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “She’s fine, son.”

 Biff grinned at him. “Don’t worry, bud. I memorialized the pre-beautification of your bride on my trusty phone. I’ll show you. After the wedding.”

 “I thought they were Fawn-ass-kicker photos,” Chet said innocently.

 Joe grabbed Biff’s arm. “Alright the coast is clear – Nan’s across the lawn. Now let me see those photos.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Vanessa gasped when Nancy walked through the door of the bedroom. They were due to walk down the aisle in about ten minutes and she was an absolute mess.

 “I simply have to take a shower,” Nancy said. “Will the extensions be ok?”

 “Yes, they should be fine,” Cheryl said, quickly pulling out the roses and baby’s breath that still miraculously clung in Nancy’s hair. “But you better hurry. We’re going to be pushing it just to get your hair dry and the dress on before you have to head downstairs.”

 “I’ll just be a couple minutes.”

 True to her word, Nancy walked out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam two minutes later. She had on a pair of white lace bikini underwear and nothing else – modesty apparently abandoned in the urgency to get ready for the ceremony.

 While Nancy fussed with the self-adhering bra cups Cheryl began blow drying her hair. Nancy had trouble getting the cups positioned properly, so Hannah helped her. As soon as Cheryl turned off the blow dryer, Betty stepped forward with the dress and helped Nancy don it, quickly hooking the closures at the small of her back.

 With the alterations Betty had completed, the dress fit Nancy’s body like a glove. Nancy sank onto a stool, and slipped her feet into low, white satin pumps while Cheryl ran a brush through her hair until it fell in shimmering reddish-blonde waves. Pulling it all back from Nancy’s face, Cheryl created a quick bun, tucking a single white rose into the center. The loose strands that had escaped the bun were treated to a quick twirl on a small curling iron, so that soft banana curls framed her face.

 The result was astounding, as Nancy stood, a mere ten minutes later, transformed into a beautiful bride-to-be.

 Vanessa walked to her side and gave her a critical look. “Are you alright, Nan?”

 “I’m fine, Van. Far better now that Fawn is in handcuffs.” Nancy gripped Vanessa’s hands, a wide smile on her face. “Come on, girl. Let’s go get married!”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “I still don’t get why Frank gets to escort Mom down the aisle and I’m stuck with Dad. No offense, Dad,” Joe said petulantly.

 “None taken,” his father said, chuckling.

 “Because Frank’s the oldest,” his mother said. “I’m surprised you’re putting up such a fuss, anyway. You usually want me to pretend I’m not related to you.”

 “That was when I was a kid,” Joe said.

 “You’re still a big kid,” Frank said. “Go on, little brother, run on down the aisle and the adults will catch up.”

 “No, I’m supposed to walk _behind you_ ,” Joe said. “Right where I’ve been all my life.”

 “Well, to be fair,” Biff said, “you’ve actually been running in front of Frank all your life. Usually getting into trouble that he had to bail you out of.”

 “Hey!” Joe glared at Biff. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”

 “I didn’t say I wasn’t,” Biff said.

 “After all, who was usually with you when you got into trouble?” Chet asked, snickering.

 Out of the corner of his eye, Joe caught sight of Pastor Eckles who gave a nearly imperceptible nod. A moment later his father said, “Alright boys, it’s time.”

 They all got into their places. Chet and Biff walked down the aisle, stretching a white aisle runner behind them. Then Frank escorted their mother down the aisle, and Joe fell into step with his father behind them.

 Suddenly, it was very real, and Joe felt an odd sense of anticipation and near-panic. He watched as his brother bent to kiss their mother and then shook their father’s hand. Like a robot, Joe followed suit, mirroring his brother’s actions nearly perfectly.

 In fact, he started to follow Frank to his side of the gazebo. Luckily, his father touched his arm and pointed him in the right direction after only a couple steps. That elicited a few snickers from the audience, and Joe felt his face redden in response. _Wrong-way Hardy rides again_ , he thought wryly.

 Biff flashed him an encouraging smile as he turned to stand next to his friend and best man. Joe looked back down the aisle. This was it. This time, it was the real thing. His next trip down that aisle would be with Vanessa by his side as his wife. The realization made him a little weak in the knees.

 Looking to the other side of the gazebo, he caught his brother’s eye and received a nervous smile in return. Even cool, calm, collected Frank was shaking in his shoes at the prospect of what was coming. Oddly, it gave Joe some comfort to know that he wasn’t alone

  _Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring_ began playing, and Joe’s heart rate skyrocketed. Callie came down the aisle, and then George, and then he saw her. His breath caught as Vanessa came gliding toward him, holding onto her mother’s arm. The gown she was wearing was dotted with intricate beading that reflected the muted lighting and was quite literally dazzling – but not nearly as dazzling as the smile on his bride’s face.

 Joe met them at the end of the aisle. When Andrea laid Vanessa’s hand in Joe’s, it felt like she was giving him the world. Closing his fingers around Van’s, he leaned down and kissed her mother’s cheek.

 “Thank you,” he murmured earnestly as he straightened.

 Andrea patted his cheek and gave him a watery smile. “You take good care of my little girl, Joseph.”

 “I will, I promise,” Joe said softly.

 Looking into Vanessa’s blue-gray eyes, he knew without a doubt that this was where he was meant to be. He was going to spend the rest of his life by this beautiful woman’s side, doing absolutely everything in his power to make her happy. Her responding smile, full of affection, joy and hope for the future, sent him straight to cloud nine.

 And he stayed there the rest of the evening.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 “Don’t lock your knees, bud.”

 Chet’s hissed warning was well-timed. Frank stopped swaying precariously on stick-straight legs and bent his knees to get the blood flowing through his limbs again. Joe had just led Vanessa back to their side of the gazebo while Andrea took her seat. The music swelled again, and his eyes slid down the aisle to where Nancy now stood holding her father’s arm.

 Eyes locked on his bride, he realized that he had been waiting all of his life for this moment. Nancy had been around as long as he could remember. A fierce friend, a challenging intellectual, a dogged investigator, and most recently a passionate lover – she had become as inseparable from him as his own heart.

 Frank met them at the end of the aisle. Carson turned to Nancy and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on her cheek. He then turned to Frank and gripped his hand in both of his own.

 “Take good care of her, son,” Carson said, his voice thick with emotion.

 He finally took Nancy’s hand and placed it in Frank’s.

 “Thank you, sir,” Frank said sincerely.

 Holding Nancy’s hand as if it were a breakable artifact, he led her back to their side of the gazebo as Carson took a seat between Hannah Gruen and Andrea. Pastor Eckles moved to the railing and held out his hands as the music ended.

 “Friends, family, brothers and sisters in the Lord’s eyes, I welcome you here this evening to witness the entry of these two young couples into the sweet bonds of holy matrimony.”

 Looking down into Nancy’s eyes, Frank felt a deep serenity encompass his heart and soul. It was a serenity born of the certainty that this was where he belonged. That only through this union could he ever be whole.

 Before he knew it, the sermon was over, and Joe and Vanessa had exchanged their vows. Pastor Eckles was looking at him expectantly, and he choked briefly before remembering that he had written it all down on a note card in his pocket.

 He cleared his throat and looked out at the crowd. “Um, I’m in the same boat as Joe. Nan told me it was fine if I plagiarized but Mr. Gaukel taught us to always cite our sources, so…”

 That got him a little laughter and he felt himself relax. Looking down into Nancy’s eyes, he smiled and spoke directly to her.

 “This quote from St. Augustine, doctor of the church, really spoke to me about how I view our relationship, sweetheart.”

 Frank took a deep breath and concentrated so he wouldn’t trip over his tongue as he quoted:

   "Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.”

 Frank cleared his throat, studied the next part of the quote, and shoved the card in his pocket, taking Nancy’s hands in his.

 “I’m going to wing it and paraphrase this next part, but it really gets to the heart of how I feel about us, Nan. We have roots that have grown toward each other underground over the last twenty-four years of our lives. For a long time I don’t think either of us realized just how intertwined those roots had become. But now I’m confident that even if all the pretty blossoms of being in love fall from our branches, as St. Augustine puts it, we will always love one another because despite the fact that outwardly we are two separate individuals, in our hearts, we will always be one."

 There were several moments of silence as he and Nancy gazed into each other’s eyes. And then Nancy gave a jittery little laugh. Frank’s lips curved up in response, his eyes never leaving her beautiful face.

 “Yes, Frank, we are one. We’ve become so close over the years that even the quote we select to use for our marriage vows is the same.”

 Laughter greeted this revelation, and Frank squeezed her hands. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

 “I guess we should have compared notes, but I don’t think it would have mattered,” Nancy said, gazing up at him with a smile that mirrored perfectly how he felt about her. “I don’t think there’s anything I can add to what you said other than the fact that I feel exactly the same way about you. You are my other half – the part of myself that lives separate from me, but is as necessary to me as my own heart. I love you so much.”

 The silence that followed was brief, but reflective. Pastor Eckles stepped forward, again.

 “I believe that the Lord has chosen to speak through the vows that these two young couples have shared with each other tonight. They have truly spoken from the heart, and it is obvious that they are ready to take the serious step of declaring their commitment to one another in the eyes of the Lord our God.”

 The formal vows felt like less of a declaration than the personal vows they had just shared. Finally they exchanged rings, and they were able to turn and face their friends and family.

 Pastor Eckles stood behind Joe and Van and announced, “Friends and family – I would like to introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Vanessa Hardy.”

 Frank doubted most of the crowd could hear over the applause, but Nancy and he both laughed as his brother asked, “Can I kiss her, now?”

 “In just a moment,” Pastor Eckles murmured with a tolerant smile.

 Moving so he was behind Nancy and him, Pastor Eckles added, “And… last but not least, friends and family – I would like to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Franklin and Nancy Hardy.”

 “Now?” Joe hissed impatiently.

 “Yes, now, Joseph,” Pastor Eckles said in an aside, before announcing loudly, “Gentlemen, you may kiss your brides.”

 Joe had grabbed Vanessa and dipped her with a flourish to kiss her while Pastor Eckles was speaking. Frank quickly lost interest in his brother’s antics when he looked down into his own bride’s gorgeous blue eyes.

 He wrapped his arms around Nancy as the sound of applause swelled around them. Her arms twined around his neck, and their lips met, sealing their commitment. A commitment they had made to one another three months ago, and had just confirmed in front of friends, family and God. It was now official.

 They were husband and wife.


	17. Cocktails & Consummation

Frank laid his arm across the back of Nancy’s chair and let his fingers trail lightly from her bare shoulder down her arm, grinning at the involuntary shiver his touch elicited.

 She turned and gave him a coy smile. “Mr. Hardy, you had better behave yourself.”

 He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “That is quite a challenge when you’re wearing that dress, my dear Mrs. Hardy.”

 Then he blew in her ear and dropped a few light kisses along her jaw. Her soft giggles encouraged him, and he pulled her closer.

 “Hey you two, pay attention!”

 Biff’s voice startled them apart and the crowd broke into laughter.

 “There, that’s better,” Biff continued with a wide, teasing grin. “It’s time for the best man’s toast… or rather the best men’s toast.”

 Chet, who had been standing in the background, stepped forward. “Always the comedian. Let’s get on with the show, Hooper.”

 “Ah, yes, the show.” Biff rubbed his hands together. “Our friend, Phil, did these great photo collage videos for our couples of honor.”

 “They really are neat,” Chet said. “But they’re a little long –”

 “And maudlin,” Biff interjected.

 “So we convinced Phil to let us pick and choose – not just Biff and me, but Callie and George helped, too. So we went through the photos used for the video and picked out the best –”

 “Meaning most embarrassing,” Biff said.

  “…to share with you tonight.” Chet was obviously struggling to keep from laughing. He took a deep breath before finishing, “We invite the audience to chime in if they recognize the photo. Phil, would you do the honors, please.”

 The first photo to flash on the screen was of a very young Frank sitting on the couch holding Joe as a small baby. The ‘aw’s that sounded from the crowd were instantaneous.

 “Frank was one and a half in that photo,” their mother called out. “Joe wasn’t even six months old. Even then Frank was fiercely protective of his little brother.”

 “Good thing, too,” Biff said. “Joe needs protecting. That’s what you signed up for, Van!”

 “Gladly!” Vanessa said, leaning toward Joe and kissing him on the lips.

 The next photo was of a little girl dressed in a cow girl outfit, complete with red boots and a lasso. Andrea piped up, “Vanessa at three years old – she loved to dress up!”

 Next was an unmistakable little reddish-blonde child, with brilliant blue eyes and chubby cheeks sitting proudly astride a two-wheeled bicycle. There were band-aids on both of her knees, and her grin was gap-toothed.

 “That’s my little girl, when she was five years old on her very first two-wheeler,” Carson said. “It only took a couple tumbles before she got the hang of balancing without the training wheels.”

 Next up was a photo of a group of nine- and ten-year-old boys, covered in mud, hanging on each other with broad grins all around.

 “Yeah!” Tony shouted. “That was our annual mud volleyball tournament.”

 “Which ones of those mud monsters are Frank and Joe?” someone asked.

 Biff stepped over and squinted at the screen. “These two,” he said, pointing at the boys in the middle.

 Another photo flashed up, this time of a gangly pre-teen girl with braces and long stringy hair. Vanessa gasped.

 “Ooo, you better change it now, Phil Cohen, or I will hurt you!”

 Laughter erupted again, as the photo changed to one showing Nancy. She was maybe ten years old, holding up her bangs and pointing proudly to a wound on her forehead. On one side of her was Joe, laughing, and on the other was a very somber Frank.

 “Oh, I had forgotten all about that,” Nancy said. “I still have the scar.”

 “And you still lost the contest,” Joe said, leaning forward to look at her.

 “Did not,” Nancy said. “I made it at least six feet higher in that tree than you did.”

 “But I didn’t fall out,” Joe argued.

 “Honest to God?” Frank broke in. “It’s been almost fifteen years, and you two are still going to argue about who won the stupid climbing contest?”

 “Whose side are you taking tonight, Frank?” Joe asked sourly.

 “One guess, Joe,” Frank said.

 “For pity’s sake, Phil, change the picture!” their mother said.

 The next photo was of Vanessa and Callie laughing up at the camera, their bodies entirely buried in the sand. In the background Liz and Jamie knelt with short sand shovels, grinning.

 Frank laughed. “As I recall, you all complained about having sand in places sand ought not be after that trick!”

 “I offered to help Van clean it all off,” Joe said with a teasing grin.

 “Joseph Hardy, you couldn’t have been but eighteen years old!” Aunt Gertrude sounded scandalized.

 “Like that precludes being horny,” Biff hissed so that only the head table could hear. They all busted up laughing.

 “I heard that, Allen Hooper,” Frank’s mother said with a raised eyebrow.

 “Next picture!” Chet said hastily.

 The next picture showed the entire Bayport gang on the top of the EmpireState building. Biff and Tony each had a hold of one of Frank’s arms, hauling him up onto the concrete wall while Joe held onto a leg. They were all laughing.

 Biff said, “I know it looks like we were trying to throw him over the edge –”

 “Really, we were threatening to cuff him to the fence,” Tony insisted.

 Joe chuckled. “Frank took a lot of grief during that visit. It had been, what, six or eight months since he’d started at GWU and that was his first trip home?”

 “I was busy,” Frank said. “You guys could have come down to visit me – wasn’t like it was that far!”

 The picture changed again to show Nancy and Bess looking up at the camera from a pool, with George standing on the edge, pointing and laughing. Frank thought it looked familiar.

 “Is that from that cruise on the Caribbean where Joe and I ran into you?” he asked. He squinted at the photo. “You’re both in your clothes – what are you doing in the pool in your clothes?”

 “Georgia Fayne, you’re in trouble,” Nancy said quietly.

 Bess stood and put her hands on her hips as she turned to look at Nancy. “Yes, Frank, we are in our clothes. Nancy pushed me into the pool because she was ticked off at me for teasing her…”

 “You deserved it,” Nancy muttered.

 “And then Nan felt guilty and reached down to help Bess out, and Bess pulled her in,” George said, laughing.

 Joe grinned. “And I arrived just in time to snap the picture. My timing has always been impeccable.”

 “What was she teasing you about, sweetheart?” Frank asked.

 Several beats of silence passed. When it became apparent Nancy wasn’t going to answer, Bess did.

 “I was teasing her about you, Frank.”

 “Oh.”

 Bess cast a smug look at Nancy. “And obviously I was right.”

 “Next picture!” Nancy said loudly, and then groaned at what flashed on the screen. “Oh, you have to be kidding me.”

 Frank started laughing. “Love the pose, Nan.”

 Chet was having trouble catching his breath. “I’m sure no one here was surprised when half an hour before the ceremony is due to start, there was some excitement. I mean, if you know Frank and Joe –”

 “Or Nancy,” Biff managed to sputter.

 Chet acknowledged the addition with a nod. “They’re always in the middle of some kind of trouble. Anyway, this photo was taken just twenty minutes before Nan was due to walk down the aisle.”

 “Twenty minutes before I _did_ walk down the aisle,” Nancy corrected.

 “Actually, sweetheart, you were a little late,” Frank teased.

 “A lady is always fashionably late, Frank,” Vanessa said with a grin. “She got ready in ten minutes – which absolutely _has_ to be some kind of record in wedding history.”

 “And all after she kicked this psycho stalker woman’s butt!” Biff said enthusiastically.

 Chet moved to the table and picked up his wine glass, “And on that note, we’d like to make a toast to our couples. Biff and I talked a long time about how to do this. We’ve known Frank and Joe forever, and we were both feeling kind of sorry for Nancy and Vanessa marrying two guys that find as much trouble as they do.”

 Biff picked up his glass and nodded agreement. “But then we saw Nan rolling around in the woods with this crazy woman, and realized that she was probably as much trouble as Frank and Joe combined.”

 “Hey!” Nancy said indignantly.

 Chet continued the toast without missing a beat, “And then we all heard the stories about Vanessa’s undercover work up in Ithaca. So the only conclusion we could come up with was that Frank and Joe had obviously found the right women to share their lives with!”

 “To two of the most perfectly matched couples on God’s green earth,” Biff said, lifting his glass high. “May your life be full of love and laughter –”

 “As well as happiness,” Chet continued. “With just enough trouble to keep things interesting”

 “Hear, hear!”

 

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Nancy sighed as Frank’s arms encircled her from behind. They hadn’t wandered far from one another’s side all evening, and yet every time she felt his touch it gave her a little thrill. His warm breath across her neck and shoulder as he bent to kiss her sent fire racing along every nerve.

 The crowd had thinned considerably. Only their closest friends and family remained as the caterers finished cleaning up. She leaned into Frank and his arms tightened comfortingly.

 “Are you happy, sweetheart?” he asked, his cheek brushing hers.

 “Incredibly,” she breathed, and then turned in his arms. Looking up at his handsome face, it was nearly impossible to resist the desire to melt into him. His eyes were nearly black in the dim light, and her entire body echoed the desire she recognized there. She was very ready to be alone with her husband.

 A throat cleared, startling both of them. “We’re getting ready to leave,” an amused female voice said.

 Disappointment slaked through her, but she managed to smile as she and Frank turned to say goodbye to Callie and Sam.

 “Sorry to interrupt,” Sam said sincerely.

 “We didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye,” Callie said.

 “But we really were sorry to interrupt,” Sam repeated.

 “It’s alright,” Frank said affably. “Don’t take this wrong, but the sooner you all are gone the sooner I can have my bride to myself.”

 The combination of embarrassment and desire made Nancy feel warm all over and she was sure the flush of her body showed on her face.

 “You are a beautiful, blushing bride, Nancy,” Callie confirmed, her smile mildly teasing. She took Nancy’s hands and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, and then whispered in her ear, “I’m so happy for both of you, really. Take good care of him.”

 Nancy squeezed her hands. “Thank you so much, Callie.”

 “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you, Nan,” Callie said. “Don’t forget – dinner when you get back from the honeymoon. We insist!”

 “Absolutely,” Sam said, leaning down and giving Nancy a light kiss as Callie embraced Frank. “Congratulations and enjoy your honeymoon!”

 Sam shook Frank’s hand, and then put an arm around Callie and led her away. Frank sighed and looked around before his gaze dropped to Nancy.

 “Do you think they’d notice if we left?”

 Nancy laid a hand on his cheek and smiled. “Always tempting me, Hardy.”

 “I’m glad to hear that… Hardy,” Frank said with a teasing grin.

 Another cleared throat and they turned as one to face their next departing guest. Nancy forced her lips into a smile as she faced Liz Webling. Liz had struck Nancy as self-confident and opinionated during their previous encounters, so the tight smile on her mouth and nervously shifting eyes seemed entirely out of character for the young reporter.

 “Hey, Liz,” Frank said. “What do you have there?”

 That was when Nancy noticed that Liz was holding a wrapped package. It was about two-foot square but very thin.

 “Um, I know this is a little out of the ordinary… but, I really wanted to see you open my wedding gift to you.” She shoved it into Nancy’s hands.

 “Ok,” Nancy said, her brows furrowing.

 She turned to rest the awkward parcel on a nearby table. Frank moved to help her rip the white wrapping off. The first thing she realized was that it was the back of a picture frame. Frank took a corner and helped her flip it over. They both sucked in their breath.

 Pressed tin with a simple geometric pattern of interlocking circles was painted in distressed black and framed a simply-matted black and white photo collage of Nancy and Frank at the vineyard.

 “These are the pictures you took just yesterday?” Nancy gasped, staring at the striking images.

 “Yes.” She gave them a sheepish smile, her cheeks coloring. “When I started developing the photos last night I realized just how… intrusive my picture-taking was. I also decided it would make the most perfect wedding gift.”

 Frank’s voice was low and awe-struck, “This is absolutely amazing, Liz.” Nancy could only nod in agreement.

 Liz had taken three successive images, and zoomed in closer with each. The first showed the entire scene – Nancy and Frank lying in each other’s arms, leaned against the oak tree with the pond shimmering in the background. The next zoomed in closer, with the gnarled bark of the oak providing an interesting backdrop to their upper bodies wrapped together, lips locked in a passionate kiss. The final shot zoomed in even tighter, and Liz had blown it up so the picture was larger than the other two. Nancy’s and Frank’s profiles dominated the photo, the love in their shared gaze palpable.

 Nancy looked up at Liz. She was sure her smile reflected how dumbfounded she was.

 “Thank you so much, Liz,” she said. “It’s… it’s just incredible.”

 Liz flashed her a smile that was both pleased and rueful. “Listen, Nancy, I know we didn’t start off on the best of terms, but… well, I wanted you to know. It became patently obvious to me while I was doing this,” she motioned to the collage, “that you two belong together. And I wish you only the best. I really do.”

 Nancy smiled at Liz and took her hand in a warm grip. “Thank you, Liz. That means a lot.”

 Frank leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek.

 “Yes, thank you.”

 As Liz walked away, Bess approached with Phillip Colby following a deferential step behind. The sheepish look on Bess’s face was becoming all too familiar.

 “I hate to leave so early, Nan, but we have kind of a long drive back to New Canaan.”

 “I completely understand, Bess,” Nancy said, gathering her friend into a warm embrace.

 Bess’s arms wrapped around her and held tight. “I’m so happy for you, Nan.”

 As the two friends pulled apart, Frank gave Bess a teasing smile. “Hey, do I get any of that action?”

 Bess giggled and stepped toward him, giving him a hug. “Sometimes you act an awful lot like that flirtatious brother of yours, Frank.”

 He gave her a light kiss on the cheek and grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment, coming from you.”

 Phillip stood in front of Nancy. She got the distinct impression that his obvious awkwardness was very foreign to the young aristocrat.

 He took Nancy’s hand and kissed it. “You’re a lovely bride, Nancy.”

 Nancy had to stop herself from snatching her hand back from him. Despite her assurances to Bess that she wasn’t angry about her absence throughout preparations for the wedding, she did harbor a few hard feelings toward the man that seemed to be responsible. After allowing him to kiss her hand, she gently extracted it. She knew just from the feel of the smile on her face that it had to be tight and maybe even vaguely unfriendly. She just couldn’t seem to help it.

 “Thank you, Phillip. I’m glad you could come.”

 Frank took Bess’s hand. “Come on, Bess. You can’t leave without saying goodbye to Joe. He’d be crushed.”

 Phillip watched them move away, his expression pained. Nancy stared at him. She honestly could not figure the man out. Was he upset because he knew Bess used to hold a torch for the younger Hardy, or because he’d been left behind with her? Maybe it was both. Her gaze didn’t waver as his eyes shifted back to her.

 His smile was nervous. He checked a diamond studded Rolex on his wrist. “I should probably go call the car.”

 Nancy crossed her arms. “You know, Phillip, I don’t know what your intentions are with Bess, but she is a very dear friend of mine.”

 “I know that.”

 “I would be very upset if she… became upset.”

 He nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line.

 “I know that, too.” A rueful smile broke across his classically handsome face. “Yvonne and Guy warned me not to piss you off. Unfortunately, it appears that warning may have come just a tad too late.”

 “Apparently.”

 “I truly am sorry about the last few weeks in particular, Nancy,” Phillip took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m afraid Bess took me a bit by surprise. To be honest, I never expected to feel this… strongly about anyone. I suppose in some ways it’s been eye-opening. I never could quite fathom why Guy was so willing to do whatever he had to do to be with Yvonne.”

 Nancy was taken aback by his candor, and his confession. “It can be an adjustment to accommodate someone that you care about, but if the person is worth it, you do so – no matter what the cost. Bess is worth it, Phillip.”

 “I’m not used to compromising my own wishes to someone else’s,” Phillip responded stiffly.

 There was the spoiled-rotten rich boy Nancy had expected. “Well, if you care about Bess, I guess you’ll just have to get over yourself.”

 Phillip recoiled a bit, but nodded slowly. His gaze was thoughtful as he said, “I really should go call the car.”

 Bess and Frank were both grinning as they came back. Glancing back to where Joe stood red-faced next to a laughing Vanessa, Nancy could make a good guess at why. She was disappointed that she had missed the ribbing session, but was glad to see that her good friend appeared happier now.

 She walked up to Phillip, whose face softened into an affectionate smile as she reached up for a light kiss. “I think I’m done saying goodbye, honey. We can go now.”

 Phillip cupped her face gently. “You stay here for a few more minutes and I’ll come gather you when the car arrives, sweetheart.”

 Nancy’s heart melted a little at the true show of affection from the spoiled rich boy. Maybe Bess was what he needed to dissipate his self-centered attitude. The self-centered attitude had better dissipate if he was going to stick around, though.

 As Phillip left, Bess took Nancy’s hands and smiled. “You missed it, Nan. Frank got Joe good and Van went right along with it. I really like her. She’s perfect for Joseph ‘flirt with any skirt’ Hardy.”

 Nancy chuckled. “No doubt there, Bess.” She squeezed her friend’s hands. “Is everything ok?”

 Bess shrugged, letting her hands drop from Nancy’s. “We had a bit of an argument. He didn’t show up until after the ceremony had started, and then he was fidgeting the entire time. I told him that if he wasn’t willing to participate in events that were important to me, then I supposed I’d have to think twice the next time he asked me to one of his little dog and pony shows.”

 “And his response?” Nancy asked, suddenly very worried that she had rubbed salt in open wounds.

 “He was apologetic, but I honestly think he doesn’t understand what he did wrong,” Bess said, and then sighed. “He calmed down once Yvonne and Guy showed up. I think we’re going to have a long talk on the way to New Canaan, tonight. I may be single again by morning. I really care for Phillip, but I just can’t let him run my life like I have been. He needs to understand that.”

 “You have to call and let me know how it all turns out,” Nancy said earnestly.

 “And if you need a place to crash,” Frank added, “you can always stay at Joe and Van’s.”

 “Frank!” Nancy stared at her husband in shock. Then she caught the amused look that he and Bess were sharing. The three friends looked at one another and then all burst out laughing.

 Bess caught her breath a minute later, and waved to Phillip, who had just returned to the backyard and was walking their way.

 “I guess it’s time,” she said, leaning in to give Nancy a kiss on the cheek. “Wish me luck.”

 “Luck,” Nancy said, as her friend hurried to join Phillip. He lifted a hand in farewell before wrapping an arm around Bess and escorting her away.

 Nancy felt Frank’s arm around her and leaned into him.

 “Bess will be fine, sweetheart,” he said comfortingly.

 It took another hour before all of their friends had left. The family gathered in the driveway to say good night as Van and Joe prepared to leave.

 “We’ll see you tomorrow morning around eight,” Vanessa said, giving Nancy a hug. “I’m kind of anxious to open gifts.”

 “I’m too tired to do it tonight, though,” Nancy said with a laugh.

 “Congrats, big brother,” Joe said, gripping Frank’s hand.

 Frank pulled him into an affectionate embrace. “Same to you, little bro. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 Joe stepped back, grinning. “First day of the rest of our lives!”

 Frank wrapped an arm around Nancy as Joe and Vanessa pulled out of the drive. “That’s our cue, sweetheart. We can finally go home.”

 The smile that curved her mouth at those words felt like it would split her face. In the backyard, they bid their families a hasty goodbye and then made a beeline for the trail head. Nancy gathered her skirt and looped it over her arm, Frank’s fingers lacing into hers as he urged her into the woods. The dark quiet closed around them and Frank pulled her into his arms for a long, deep, almost-satisfying kiss.

 “Finally alone,” Frank said as he released her, only to take her hand, again, and begin picking his way down the path toward their new home.

 The rain that had been threatening for days had finally given way to clear skies earlier in the evening. The waxing moon shone brightly in the sky, but the leafy canopy overhead cast them in shadow. Frank pulled out a penlight to illuminate their way.

 When they reached the backyard of their home, they broke into a jog. Rounding the end of the house, Nancy noticed that the front porch light was on.

 “Who…”

 “I did,” Frank said as he led her up onto the porch. “All of our things are upstairs. The guys helped me haul it all over here early this afternoon. I even made the bed.”

 “Hopefully Fawn didn’t visit again,” Nancy said, wrinkling her nose.

 “Con checked the house,” Frank said. “He said it didn’t look like she’d come back, so I think we’re ok.”

 Frank pulled out his keys, and Nancy reached out to finger the sterling silver, teardrop shaped fob on his key ring. The shape was slightly different from the one he had given her, with one side of the teardrop concave rather than both being convex, but other than that it was very similar. Etched into the surface of Frank’s was the word ‘TRUE’ and she smiled up at him.

 “It looks a lot like the one you gave me.”

 He grinned and unlocked the door, but grabbed her hand when she started to enter. “It’s traditional for the groom to carry his bride over the threshold of their new home.”

 He scooped her up and swept into the house, both of them laughing. He set her lightly on her feet, and closed and locked the door behind them. Surprising her, he picked her up again and jogged up the open staircase that led to the second floor.

 In their room, he set her down by the dresser. He laid his keys down and then picked up the box that held his wedding gift to her. He pulled out her key chain and laid it next to his. Flipping both tear drop shapes so the words were visible, he pushed them together. They formed a heart with ‘TRUE COMPANIONS’ etched on it.

 Nancy chuckled and wound her arms around his neck. “You’re such a closet romantic.”

 “It’s our song, sweetheart,” Frank said with a smile, humming quietly as he lowered his head, his lips whispering along her jaw. And then as he slowly danced her toward the bed, he murmured the words of the song that had played while they danced for the first time as husband and wife.

   _I've got this vision of a girl in white_  
 _Made my decision that it's you all right_  
 _And when I take your hand_  
 _I'll watch my heart set sail_  
 _I'll take my trembling fingers_  
 _And I'll lift up your veil_  
 _Then I'll take you home_  
 _And with wild abandon_  
 _Make love to you just like a true companion_

He dipped her with a flourish.

 “You are my true companion,” he said as he righted her, his arms pulling her closer.

 “True companions,” Nancy murmured, running her hands lightly up his arms, coming to rest on his broad shoulders.

 “I love you so much, sweetheart.” His gaze was serious when he looked down into her eyes, shaking his head slowly. “Those words are so totally inadequate to describe how deeply I feel about you – about us.”

 Nancy gave him a tender smile.

 “So show me.”

 

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 That was an invitation Frank gladly accepted. He leaned down and kissed Nancy as he traced the skin along the edge of the satin down to the small of her back. Unfortunately, the eyelet closures foiled him, and Nancy giggled against his lips.

 “Having trouble, Hardy?”

 Frank grunted in frustration. “What is this thing? Like a chastity belt or something?”

 “Honestly, I’m not sure,” Nancy said, reaching around to try and help. “Hannah and Betty hooked me into it.”

 Leading her over to the bed, Frank chuckled. “I think I’m actually going to have to take a closer look to figure out how to get you out of it.”

 Nancy was giggling again. “Frank Hardy can get himself out of rope bonds, handcuffs and chains but is stymied by a wedding dress!”

 Frank sat on the edge of the bed and put his hands on her hips, turning her so the satin covered buttons that camouflaged the eyelet closures were at eye level.

 “Not stymied, just impatient,” he said mildly.

 He slipped his fingers under the fabric and easily undid the first eyelet now that he could see it. He dropped a light kiss onto the skin that was revealed in the process. As he exhaled, a tremor slipped up Nancy’s slim body. He grinned.

 “That’s better.”

 Slowly he undid each eyelet, his lips trailing lower. As the last one opened, he slipped his hands underneath the dress, cupping the supple curve of her hips. Nancy let the dress slip down off her shoulders, making room for him to slide his hands around her waist, coming to rest lightly on her stomach as she pressed back against him.

 He kissed his way up her spine, slowly standing. As he made his way along her now bare shoulder, Nancy’s head lolled against his neck, her hair tickling him. He caressed her, slowly moving his hands up her torso craving the feel of the silky skin on the underside of her breasts. But the odd texture he encountered there stopped him.

 “What the heck…?”

 Nancy giggled and pulled away from him. “Sorry, those are the self-adhering bra cups. Let me hang up the dress and get those things off.”

 Frank was mesmerized as he watched her move to the closet and shimmy out of the dress before carefully hanging it up. The lace bikini underwear she had on left very little to the imagination and it took every ounce of self-control he had not to walk over there and attack her.

 “You… are… a tease,” he said quietly.

 He had been unable to curb the reaction of his body to her at all this evening, and now was no exception. Though her back was to him, her low, throaty chuckle sent a shock through him causing a tightening in his groin that was at once excruciating and wonderful.

 She turned and dropped the bra cups onto the dresser before gliding toward him with a come hither smile. “There, no more surprises.”

 She stopped directly in front of him and started unbuttoning his shirt.

 “This hardly seems fair. You’re still fully dressed.” Her lips turned down in a cute little pout.

 He put his hands on her hips, hooking his thumbs into her panties. “Whose fault is that?”

 She pulled the tails of his shirt out of his pants and undid the last button.  Forcefully moving his hands, she pushed the shirt off of his shoulders and then stripped his undershirt up over his head.

 An involuntary shiver accompanied the feel of her hands skimming around his waist as she pressed herself against his bare chest. She smiled up at him.

 “I’m correcting my error.”

 He wrapped his arms around her, meeting her lips in a slow kiss and then using his tongue to savor the slight variations in the flavor of her lips, cheek, teeth, tongue. Totally wrapped up in his exploration of her mouth, he was caught off guard when she unzipped his pants. Her hands sliding around his hips and over his butt to push the pants out of the way ripped a groan from him.

 She had been driving him slowly insane all evening, and his patience with the foreplay snapped. He stripped off her underwear and then scooped her off her feet. Taking her to the side of the bed, he laid her down.

 She scooted over to make room for him and he happily stretched alongside her. Sliding one arm under her head while his other encircled her lower, he pulled their bodies together, eliminating the space separating them with a relieved sigh.

 

 nh

 Wrapped together, they lost themselves in each other. Time lost meaning as they caressed and fondled, bodies twining closer and closer until it was impossible to discern one from the other. Unwilling to sate the escalating desire to couple, they prolonged the exquisite yearning that became sweeter and more intense the longer they played.

 Neither of them made a conscious decision to end the anticipation. It happened as naturally as birthing a baby, only instead of one being becoming two – two became one.

 But the unity could never last for long. Mounting tension along the nearly indiscernible line that separated them would not allow it. Like an earthquake, the orgasm rocked them, the intense pleasure of release countered by sorrow over the loss of oneness that it signaled.

 

 nh

 Frank propped himself up on his forearms and stared down at his wife. He could feel the contentment in her sleepy smile deep in his soul.

 Her arms slipped up around his shoulders, pulling him down to her.

 “Relax,” she said with a smile.

 “I feel like I’m going to break you,” he protested.

 “Mmm, no, I like to feel your weight on me.” As if to make her point, her legs wound around his waist. He gave in and sank onto her, his desire quickly rekindling with the feel of her wrapped around him.

 That low, throaty chuckle sounded again, and he lifted himself to look into the face of the woman he would spend the rest of his life with.

 “Are you ready so soon?” she murmured with a sexy little smile.

 Gently stroking her cheek to brush the hair out of her face, he gave her a teasing grin.

 “It’s your fault, sweetheart.”

 Her smile broadened. “Good.”

 She pulled him down, and one last, coherent thought registered before he lost himself in his wife.

  _I am one lucky man._


	18. Finesse & Finishes

Frank’s eyes opened and he watched the moon shadows dance on unfamiliar walls for several seconds trying to remember where they were. He had no doubt that the pleasant weight on his arm was Nancy, but they were not in his parents’ guest room.

 Slowly, the memory of their wedding, reception and consummation returned. A contented smile settled on his face as his eyes drifted shut, the sound of the wind in the trees punctuated by the steady schick-schick-schick of the clock slowly lulling him back to sleep.

 And suddenly he was sitting straight up in bed. Mrs. D had given them this bedroom set – as she had several other pieces of furniture. But she had not left behind a clock.

 “Frank?” Nancy asked, voice thick with sleep. “Is everything ok?”

 He responded quietly and calmly, “Sweetheart, I think we have a slight problem.”

 The schick-schick-schick sounded deafening now, and he heard Nancy give an irritated grunt. “Dammit!”

 Shifting to his stomach, he leaned over the edge of the bed, following the sound. The red glow he saw shining from underneath confirmed his worst fears. His head brushed the carpet as he looked under the bed, examining what he could see of the bomb there. The illuminated numbers on the timer allowed him to see Nancy staring from the other side, her hair forming an eerie red halo around her face in the dim light.

 A penlight clicked on, and he winced as the bright white light hit his eyes.

 “Watch, Nan, you’re blinding me.”

 “Sorry.”

 “Where the heck did you have that stashed?” he asked, mildly amused by her preparedness, even on their wedding night.

 “Wouldn’t you like to know,” she responded lightly. She played the light along a wire that led to the leg closest to her at the foot of the bed.

 “Damn, it has a pressure switch,” he said.

 “Actually, I think it’s a weight actuated sensor,” Nancy corrected, as she shone the light on three more leads that went to the other three legs of the bed. “I’d bet it’s set on an algorithm to trigger the bomb with any significant reduction in weight.”

 “Double damn,” Frank muttered.

 “Yeah, and it’s dual-trigger,” Nancy agreed. “If we get off the bed, it blows, but even if we don’t, we’re toast in… hey, I can’t see the timer.”

 “No problem,” Frank said. “We have over two hours to figure a way out of this little pickle.”

 “Well, that’s good, at least. I can’t believe we didn’t notice it last night.” Nancy said, and then disappeared from sight.

 He pulled himself back up onto the bed and looked at Nancy with a roguish grin.

 “We had other things on our minds by the time we got up here.” He shrugged and his expression sobered. “Besides, it may have been programmed to turn on after we were already asleep. We won’t know until we can examine it closer. Do you think one of us could get off the bed?”

 “Maybe,” she said. “Depends on what the triggering weight differential is set at.”

 “Probably a pretty risky move.”

 “Agreed.”

 He looked over at Nancy, sitting on the bed, legs crossed, elbow on her knee and chin propped on her hand – buck naked. He chuckled.

 She sat up straight, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “What’s so funny?”

 “C’mon, Nan, admit it,” he said. “This situation is just a little… I don’t know, the word surreal comes to mind. Kind of like those nightmares where you get up and head into a meeting only to realize you forgot to put on your pants.”

 She stared at him for several seconds before her lips started to curve up. “I guess you’re right. You don’t happen to sleep with your cell under your pillow?”

 “Nope.” He pointed at the dresser. “Unfortunately. It’s a little out of reach.”

 “Mine, too. I’m not sure I’m willing to admit defeat and call the bomb squad to our new home yet, anyway.”

 “You just don’t want a bunch of men in demo gear to see you naked.”

 She raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you?”

 His grin disappeared. “Um, no. As a matter of fact, I don’t.”

 “So…”

 “Let me see your penlight.” He still wondered where she’d had that hidden.

 She handed it over and he dropped to his stomach to hang over the side of the bed again. This time Nancy crawled beside him so they were both looking at the bomb from Frank’s side of the bed.

 “Looks like a pretty simple mechanism,” he said after a few minutes of careful examination.

 “Simple, sure, but it’s too far under the bed for us to disarm it.”

 Frank reached his hand under the bed as far as he could without getting off. His fingertips were a few inches short of their target. He shifted and tried again. No good.

 “Let me try from the other side.”

 They both moved to Nancy’s side of the bed, with the same outcome. Frank was still a few inches short of being able to reach the bomb.

 They sat up and looked at each other.

 “Now what?” Nancy asked.

 Frank took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m open to suggestions.”

 “Well, let’s think about this logically,” Nancy said. “Obviously, Fawn set the bomb.”

 “I’d say that’s a given.”

 She raised her eyebrows at him, her kissable lips pressed into an annoying little smirk.

 “Well, she’s your stalker, honey. What do you think her plan could have been?”

 “Very funny.”

 Her smile turned apologetic and she leaned over and gave him a kiss. “Sorry. But aside from rolling around in the woods with her just before our wedding, I’ve never met her before. You’ve known her for two years.”

 He sighed. “I really tried to ignore her, sweetheart.”

 “Come on, Frank. Tell me about her. Everything you can remember. You went on a date with her. Where did you go? What did you do? Why did you decide not to ask her out again?”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 It pained Nancy to have this talk with Frank when she still considered it their wedding night, but they needed to get into that psycho-bitch’s head if they were going to get out of this mess. She sighed. Obviously making sure Fawn was in handcuffs had not been enough.

 Frank rolled his head, and started talking slowly. “We actually started at GWU at the same time. Fawn was… she was almost overly confident. Most of the guys I started with fell all over themselves trying to talk to her, but I remember just being turned off. Of course, it didn’t help that at the time I was still kind of reeling from Callie breaking up with me.”

 “So you didn’t pay any attention to her,” Nancy said thoughtfully. “Do you think that brought you to her attention?”

 “Oh, it brought me to her attention, alright,” Frank ran a hand back through his hair. “She hit on me right away, but I told her I had a girlfriend. I just didn’t want to have to deal with her. She left me alone – for a while anyway.”

 “Ok, so when she stopped leaving you alone…”

 “I don’t know, I guess the next time I really paid any attention to her was…” Frank paused, and his mouth turned down in a frown. “It was after Callie and Sam’s wedding.”

 Nancy pursed her lips. She remembered him calling her from his hotel room in Groton after Callie and Sam’s reception. He had been drunk, which was very unusual for Frank. He had also been extremely outspoken and brash, also unlike Frank. When he had called her the next morning, though, he had been incredibly embarrassed.

 “That was when you went on that one date with her, isn’t it?”

 “Yeah. That was a huge mistake,” Frank grimaced.

 “It wasn’t a mistake.” Nancy put a hand over his and squeezed. “Honestly, honey, I know you didn’t notice her, but I think she was watching and waiting for her chance with you. She’s a psych major, remember? She knew you were vulnerable when you came back, so she made her move. She may be psycho, but she knows her stuff.”

 “And she’s patient, and smart.” Frank sat up. “You said she was wearing your mother’s wedding dress, right?”

 “Yes.”

 “She planned to take your place all along, Nan,” Frank said.

 “That actually makes sense in a whacked out way.”

 “So, why plant the bomb?”

 Nancy’s eyes widened. “I am so stupid!”

 “No, you aren’t,” Frank said, looking at her quizzically.

 “Something Fawn said in the woods today,” Nancy said. “She told me that if she couldn’t have you, no one could.”

 “You’re saying she did this in case she lost?” Frank sounded skeptical. “So what would she have done if she won?”

 “She had to have a safety net,” Nancy said.

 “Of course!”

 Frank flicked on the penlight and shone it along the crack between the headboard and the mattress. He let out a whoop a moment later and grabbed Nancy around the waist, planting a warm kiss on her lips.

 “You’re brilliant, sweetheart,” he said as he reached a hand into the gap and pulled out a small remote.

 “I think brilliant might be overstating it just a bit.”

 They both leaned over the side of the bed, again. Frank pointed the remote at the bomb and pushed the button. A green light illuminated on the side of the bomb, but the timer continued to count down.

 “Must have just been to disarm the weight trigger,” Frank said, sitting up and swinging his legs to the floor. “At least now we can get off the bed and get dressed before we call the police.”

 “We are going to be dragging butt tomorrow,” Nancy said.

 Frank walked to the dresser and picked up his cell. “You mean today. But at least we’ll be away from all of this.”

 He set the phone down and fingered his wedding gift from Nan.

 “Don’t even think about it,” Nancy said, chuckling. “I know you’re anxious to try out your new toy, but it isn’t necessary. We will let the authorities deal with that thing under the bed.”

 Frank pressed his lips together. Nancy was sure he was preparing to argue but must have thought better of it.

 “Fine.”

 They dressed hastily before calling the Bayport PD to report the bomb. The bomb squad arrived fifteen or twenty minutes later and entered the house, leaving Nancy and Frank sitting on the front steps.

 Con’s sedan pulled into the drive and he strode up the walk. He stopped and considered them quietly.

 “Hey, Con,” Frank said. Nancy just waved, unable to speak through the yawn that overcame her upon the detective’s approach.

 “I’m really sorry about this, you two. I had my guys do a quick walk through of the house after we picked up Fawn, but they didn’t find any indication that she’d been back inside. If I thought she had, we would have taken a closer look.”

 Nancy shook her head. “They wouldn’t have found it unless they were looking for it, especially if it was still lights out.”

 “Nan’s right,” Frank said. “The bomb is positioned directly under the middle of the bed. Unless they laid on the floor and looked under the bed, they wouldn’t have seen it.”

 “Alright,” Con said as he pulled out his little notebook and the stub of a pencil that he found in the third pocket he checked, “take me through it.”

 Nancy and Frank related the events from the time Frank discovered the bomb until they called the PD. Con shook his head, smirking as he put his notebook away.

 “I think I’ll leave out the part where you were trapped on the bed in your altogether, if only to spare your father.”

 Frank snorted. “I figured that would end up in large bold letters on the front page.”

 Con shrugged. “It might end up on the next recruitment poster for the munitions team – what do you say, Nancy, care to model for us?”

 Nancy sighed. “So many things I will never live down as long as I’m in Bayport, and I only just moved here officially a couple weeks ago.”

 Con laughed. “Just goes to show you married into the right family, chicky.”

 “I want to talk to Fawn,” Frank said suddenly.

 Nancy and Con both turned and looked at him in surprise. Nancy could see the determined set of his jaw.

 “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Frank,” Nancy said slowly. “It’s what she wants. She was adamant about seeing you. If you give in, it’s like playing into her hands.”

 “She’s absolutely right, Frank,” Con said.

 “What are you holding her on, Con?” Frank asked.

 Con’s brows furrowed. “We have her on breaking and entering, as well as assault. And if we can tie her to this bomb, we’ll have her on attempted murder.”

 Nancy groaned as she realized why Frank looked so upset, just before he voiced his worry.

 “In other words, you have nothing substantial on her without the bomb. You can’t tie her to the break in at the HI offices. You can’t tie her to the drugging. And I’m betting you won’t be able to tie her to the bomb.”

 “We have the girl’s testimony about seeing her take off the mask, so we have her on the B and E at your folks’ house,” Con said.

 “Which is only as good as Keely’s view and you know that was obstructed,” Frank said. “Could she even pick Fawn out of a line up?”

 Con grimaced. “Well, that kind of got blown out of the water when Keely saw me loading Fawn into the squad car. It’s a little too late to do an unbiased line up now.”

 “Has Fawn confessed to anything?” Nancy asked.

 “I’m afraid not,” Con said. “She clammed up as soon as we got her to the station. We have enough to hold her, but…”

 “Given her apparent mental state, any rookie public defender could get her off the assault charges with a paltry amount of time in a psych facility,” Frank said.

 “Hopefully we can get her on the bomb,” Con said firmly and then grunted. “Though given the lack of physical evidence she’s left behind up to this point, it’s probably unlikely.”

 Nancy felt a little smile curve her lips. “But we could get her to confess…”

 Con’s brows furrowed as he looked at her. “What are you thinking?”

 “If we could get her to confess _without_ invoking her right to counsel,” Frank agreed.

 “You can’t ask the questions, Con,” Nancy said.

 “Right!” Frank said, leaning forward.

 “Neither can you,” Nancy said. “But she doesn’t know that her bomb fizzled. I bet _I_ could shock a confession out of her.”

 Con chuckled. “I bet you’re right.”

 Frank’s jaw dropped. “You’ll let Nan in to talk to Fawn, but you think it’s a bad idea for me to?”

 Con grinned. “What can I say, kid. I’m a sucker for a pretty girl and let’s face it, Nan’s way better looking than you are.”

 “Unbelievable,” Frank muttered.

 Nancy kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t be jealous, honey.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank stood with Con in the dim light of the observation booth. Ben Unger, the Bayport PD techie, sat at a control console, with a couple different angles on the video feeds from the interrogation room lighting his thin face in a ghostly white glow.

 On the other side of the security glass, Fawn sat at the table, her wrists secured in cuffs set into the table top. Her icy blue eyes were fixed on the two-way mirror. She had barely moved a muscle since Char had brought her into the room.

 Frank walked closer to the glass and peered at her. “She thinks you’ve brought her in because of an explosion at our house?”

 “Well, technically she hasn’t been told why she was rousted out of her cell at seven in the morning,” Con said with a grin. “But Char made sure that she overheard some suggestive radio chatter on her way into the room. Nothing about a bomb, only hints of a tragedy for the Hardy family.”

 “How long are we going to let her stew?” Frank asked.

 “That’s entirely up to your wife,” Con said.

 “Where is she? I thought she and Char were just going to talk some strategy. Nan’s been gone practically since we walked through the door.”

 “Your guess is as good as mine, kid.” Con clapped him on the shoulder. “Actually, your guess is probably better than mine. Women have always been strange and mysterious creatures in my book.”

 Frank grunted. “I’m the one that ended up with psycho stalker, in there. I hardly think that makes me an expert on women.”

 “Yeah, well your psycho stalker is creeping me out with the way she just sits there and stares,” Ben murmured.

 The door opened, and all three men fell silent as Char walked in, followed closely by Nancy. The extensions had been removed from her hair and Frank could swear the ends had been singed again. Her face was smudged with soot and her clothes were disheveled and dirty.

 Fawn’s gaze flicked to Nancy and registered surprise, but it was fleeting. Char didn’t say anything, simply walked to a corner of the room and stood with her arms crossed. Nancy pulled out the chair across the table from Fawn and fell into it. Exhaustion and sorrow were evident in Nan’s haggard face.

 Con shook his head. “Man, kid, I wouldn’t play poker with that filly of yours. She’s one hell of an actress. I’m about ready to dress for your funeral right now and she hasn’t even opened her mouth.”

 Frank smiled proudly, but his eyes narrowed as he studied the scene unfolding at the little metal table in the interrogation room. Nancy leaned toward Fawn.

 “What do you have to say to me?”

 Fawn’s lips turned up slightly. “Congratulations?”

 “Congratulations?” Nancy’s voice pitched high and she knocked her chair over as she stood. She put her hands on the table and got in Fawn’s face. “You’ve been trying to ruin my wedding for the last week, and all you have to say is congratulations?”

 Fawn quirked an eyebrow at her, but didn’t say anything.

 Nancy wrapped her arms around herself as she turned toward the mirror, hanging her head.

 “Well, it looks like you’ve finally succeeded,” Nancy choked out. She stood there for several seconds, her shoulders shaking, and then whirled back to face Fawn. “I hope you’re happy. You’ve taken everything from me. Everything!”

 Fawn’s expression remained outwardly impassive, but a slight lift to the corners of her mouth and a lightness in her eyes hinted that she was pleased with what Nancy was saying. But still she said nothing.

 They couldn’t see Nancy’s face until she turned to face Char. “Can you give us a few minutes… alone?”

 “I don’t think that’s a good idea, ma’am,” Char said stiffly.

 Nancy’s voice sounded desperate. “I’ve lost my entire future and you can’t give me five minutes alone with the woman responsible?”

 Char’s gaze shifted to Fawn, her lips pressing together. “I could get in big trouble –”

 “Please,” Nancy said. “I promise I won’t do anything. I just want to talk to her and I think your presence is putting us both on guard.”

 Frank had to stifle a laugh when he noticed that Nancy’s hands, clasped behind her back in full sight of Fawn, had the fingers crossed.

 Char took a deep breath. “Five minutes. That’s it.”

 With that Char turned and walked out. Nancy bowed her head briefly as the door closed behind the policewoman and then turned back to look at Fawn. The smugness on Fawn’s face dimmed as she watched Nancy pace silently for a solid minute. In fact, she actually started to look wary.

 “You can’t prove I did it,” Fawn finally muttered.

 “You’re getting this, right, Ben?” Con asked, putting a hand on the techie’s shoulder.

 “I got it, Con. Chill,” Ben hissed, his eyes glued to the monitors.

 “Who says I need to prove anything,” Nancy said.

 “I guarantee there isn’t any physical evidence on whatever’s left of that bomb,” Fawn said, some of her smugness returning.

 “Who said anything about a bomb?” Nancy asked.

 Fawn’s jaw clenched and then she said, “I heard it on the radio.”

 Nancy picked up the chair she had knocked over earlier and sat down across from Fawn again. Running her hands down her face, Nancy sat back, looking totally spent and resigned.

 “Why, Fawn? I thought you loved him? I thought you wanted to be with him? Why would you do this?”

 “I told you,” Fawn said, her gaze disparaging. “I told you he was mine and if I couldn’t have him, no one could. Did you really think I’d just let you walk away with the prize, hon? I’m not a loser.”

 “But what have you won?” Nancy looked at her, eyes watery and tone despairing. “You will never see Frank Hardy ever again. Doesn’t that bother you?”

 The smile that curved Fawn’s lips was chilling, as she leaned forward, her fingers splaying up as she made a quiet exploding sound, the movement stopped by the shackles on her wrists.

 “And neither will you, hon. If I can’t have him, no one will. But you want to know what’s really funny?”

 “What’s that?” Nancy asked, her voice barely audible.

 “That bomb was child’s play. I watched Frank disarm bombs far more sophisticated in our munitions practical. If I had been the one with him last night, he’d still be alive. I would have disarmed the weight switch and let Frank be the big, strong man and disable the timer on the bomb. So you see, hon, his death is your fault. Not mine.”

 Nancy stood up and walked to the mirror. “Are we good?”

 In the interrogation room, Con grinned. “Why don’t you answer her, Frank?”

 Frank pushed the button on the intercom and said, “We have everything we need, sweetheart.”

 Fawn’s face contorted in fury as Nancy smiled and blew him a kiss. “Thanks, honey. I’m just about ready for that honeymoon you promised.”

 She turned back to Fawn, who sputtered. “You told me Frank was dead.”

 “Technically, I never told you he was dead,” Nancy said. “I told you that you would never see him again. That much is true.”

 Nancy flipped the chair around and straddled it, resting her arms across the back. “It was simple enough for you to sneak into the backyard sometime during the bachelorette party, maybe while we were all occupied with decorating, and spike my drink – I mean it had a big ‘Nan’ marked on the side of the cup, and there were a dozen or more young women roaming around, so what was one more.”

 Resting her chin on her folded hands, Nancy continued, “And I’m sure you had no trouble finding time to clip the wedding dress once Chet gave you the specifics on our wedding rehearsal schedule. But what I can’t figure out is why in the world you broke into Hardy Investigators and how you knew we were going to be out of the house the night you broke in and stole our wedding bands.”

 “You didn’t ask about the marriage license,” Fawn said with a smirk.

 Nancy snapped her fingers and flashed Fawn an admiring smile. “I had forgotten about that.”

 “I had been waiting for Chet to tell me that Frank was back in Bayport. As soon as he did, I started watching the house in my free time. Chet told me that you were buying that place over on Maple, and it seemed perfect, especially since the old lady had already moved most of her stuff out, and you two didn’t seem in a hurry to move in. The perfect home base for my… acquisition.”

 Frank grimaced and muttered, “Acquisition? Seriously.”

 Fawn leaned back as far as her cuffs would allow, and smiled smugly. “As soon as I found a chance, I slipped in and took the license and bugged your bedroom. Chet was a great source of info, but your pillow-talk was even better. The bugs are probably still there.”

 Frank’s skin crawled at the thought of Fawn violating the privacy of their intimate moments. 

 Fawn shrugged and continued, “The Hardy Investigators break in was a misunderstanding on my part. I heard you tell Frank that the rings were in the lockbox in his father’s office. I assumed you meant the Hardy Investigators’ office in Rosemont, but realized my mistake as soon as I opened the safe. It dawned on me then that he must have a home office. I had heard the plans for the evening, and knew the house was going to be empty, so I figured I’d head straight over there and get what I wanted. The drink samples were just a bonus when I went in to get the rings. Of course, then you showed up…” She smirked at Nancy. “Another bonus.”

 Several seconds of silence followed. Frank couldn’t see Nan’s face, but he watched in satisfaction as the smirk on Fawn’s face was replaced by nervous wariness.

 “Thanks for satisfying my curiosity,” Nancy said, standing suddenly and moving toward the door. “I have a previous engagement, so I’ll be leaving you now.”

 “Wait,” Fawn said.

 Nancy looked back at her and raised an eyebrow in question.

 “I have to know. How did you find the bomb?”

 “Frank heard it. And then through some brilliant deductive reasoning found the remote to disable the weight switch. After that, we were home free.”

 Fawn’s jaw clenched. “I want to see him.”

 “Frank?” Nancy asked innocently.

 “I need to see him,” Fawn said. “I’m… glad he’s not dead. I really am.”

 Her face reflected relief, but her eyes were still ice cold.

 Nancy turned to face the woman, arms crossed.

 “I don’t think you feel any true emotion, Fawn. It’s sad, really. You’re a darn good actress, but not good enough. It has to be painful to know that Frank is just the other side of that glass and you’ll never see him.” Nancy leaned on the table, leveling Fawn with an uncompromising gaze. “We got you on attempted murder. Your sociopathic ass is headed to jail for a good long time. And the few memories you have of Frank are just going to have to carry you through the rest of your miserable life. Meanwhile, I’m going to start the rest of my life – with my husband.”

 “I’ll get out,” Fawn muttered. She leaned toward Nancy, her expression void of anything but hatred. “And when I do, you had better watch _your_ ass, _hon_.”

 Nancy’s responding smile held a hint of smugness. Frank liked the look on Nan far better than on Fawn.

 “Thanks for the unveiled threat, _hon_ ,” Nancy said. “You just added at least a couple years to your time before you’ll be eligible for parole. Should I stay and help you dig the hole deeper or are you done?”

 Fawn’s entire expression closed and she sat back as her lips disappeared into a thin, bitter line.

 Nancy pushed away from the table and smiled.

 “I didn’t think so.”


	19. Slow & Steady

Nancy looked over at her husband and smiled. “How are you doing, honey?”

 “I am doing absolutely fantastic since we left Bayport and that whole Fawn fiasco behind us,” Frank said.

 “Me, too!” she agreed enthusiastically. “So, you never told me – where are we staying?”

 “I got us a lakeside cabin at The Cedar Point Atrium resort,” Frank said with a grin, “including a Jacuzzi with a view.”

 “That sounds heavenly.”

 “They do a nightly campfire down at the beach, if we’re feeling sociable. There’s live entertainment every weekend. Or we can go canoeing or kayaking out on Lake George. We can even do some exploring in AdirondackPark. Whatever you want.”

 Nancy was kind of afraid to ask her next question. “What about Joe and Vanessa?”

 “Joe couldn’t decide which setting Van would like better – a cabin, or a cottage, or the main lodge. He ended up waiting so long to make his reservations that he didn’t have much choice left.” Frank snickered. “Anyway, they ended up in a Jacuzzi suite at the main lodge. It’s nice, and a bit more convenient to the activities and such, but I think ours will be more private.”

 Nancy’s face broke out in a big smile. “So we have our cabin all to ourselves?”

 Frank took her hand and pressed it to his lips. “All to ourselves, sweetheart. Did you think I’d have our honeymoon any other way?”

 “Honestly, I wasn’t sure,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I’m kind of glad we decided to drive separately, too. This way we can go in different directions if we decide or pile in a car together.”

 “Exactly,” he said. “Joe and I talked about it and decided it would be nice to go to the same resort, so we could do things together if we wanted. But we didn’t want to be on top of each other.”

 Nancy smiled. “Especially on our honeymoon.”

 The smile faded from Frank’s face and his glance was uncertain. “Does it bother you, Nan?”

 Startled, Nancy turned a quizzical gaze on him. “Does what bother me?”

 Frank’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Does it bother you that Joe’s always there… that he and I are so close?”

 “No, Frank, it does _not_ bother me. In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Joe’s like a little brother to me, too. I love him and I love Van. I’m just feeling a bit selfish about you since we’re on our honeymoon.” She rubbed his shoulder and then slipped her fingers through his hair. “Really, I’m fine with the shared wedding and honeymoon. In fact, the wedding couldn’t have been more perfect. And the shared honeymoon resort is ok, too. I just don’t want to… share the Jacuzzi, if you know what I mean.”

 Frank visibly relaxed and chuckled. “I know exactly what you mean.”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Joe leaned back and pressed the accelerator a little harder, enjoying the feel of the wind whipping through the window. It was a gorgeous day, and he was sitting next to a gorgeous woman who was finally, officially, and irrevocably his wife. Life was good.

 “Joe, you’ve lost Frank and Nancy,” Van chided.

 “Don’t worry, babe – Grandpa knows the way,” Joe said. “We’ll be checked in, settled, and lounging on the beach by the time he pulls in the drive.”

 Vanessa’s laugh was a sound that never failed to put a smile on Joe’s face.

 “So we’re staying at the lodge and Frank and Nan are in one of the cabins, right?” she asked.

 “Yeah,” Joe grimaced. When he had finally decided to try and get something lakeside, all the options were full. Fortunately, he had managed to reserve a very nice suite on the upper floor of the lodge with a veranda that offered a great view of the lake. “We might not be lakeside, like them, but we have access to room service and the pool.”

 Van smiled and patted his arm. “It sounds absolutely lovely, Joe. In fact, I think we are going to have the perfect honeymoon.”

 She pulled out the resort folder they had received and opened an area map that was included. “There are a lot of things to do. AdirondackPark is huge.”

 “Over six million acres,” Joe said, having studied the information in the resort package several times. “This resort we’re staying at is on the north side of Lake George, and has great access to the rest of the park.”

 “I just love the Adirondacks,” Van said. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful. Cal said she and Sam had the most romantic anniversary there. I just can’t wait.”

 “Hey, babe, is CranberryLake on that map?”

 “Um…” Van was quiet for a moment and then jabbed at the map, “there it is. Why?”

 “Oh, uh, nothing,” Joe said, suddenly realizing he’d followed up Van’s comment about a romantic getaway with a question related to a mystery. She would not be happy if he got them mired in something on their honeymoon, would she? His brow furrowed. Damn, he hadn’t thought about that.

 “What’s wrong, Joe?”

 “Oh, nothing, babe. Just an old… friend lives up there.”

 “Well, it looks close on this map, but I think it’s deceiving.” Vanessa measured the scale and marked off the distance. “Geez, it’s over two hours to CranberryLake from where we’re staying. Were you planning on trying to look up this friend while we’re on our honeymoon?”

 The look Vanessa leveled him with forced Joe to reconsider his response. “Actually, the guy’s more of a friend of Frank’s… and Nan’s. Maybe we can let them go, and we’ll just hang back.”

 Van’s face relaxed into a satisfied smile. “That would be ok, I suppose. I don’t really feel like spending a whole bunch of time in the car this week. This five hour drive to get there is enough.”

 “Five hours? Who said it was going to take five hours?”

 “Frank did.”

 “Grandpa,” Joe muttered.

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Van gasped as they entered their suite. Hurrying across the room, she threw open the French doors that led to the veranda and drank in the incredible view of Lake George. The scent of pine wafted on the breeze which was cool and invigorating.

 She sighed in contentment, and then gave a little squeal of delight when she caught sight of the Jacuzzi out of the corner of her eye.

 Poking her head into the room she called, “Joe, you have to see this. You can enjoy the view from the hot tub!”

 Joe shoved some folding money into the bellhop’s hand and came to join her as the man exited the room. He met her at the railing, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. She leaned into him and sighed.

 “Oh, Joe, isn’t this just beautiful?”

 She could hear the grin in his voice. “Yes, you are, babe.”

 Turning, she wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips in a long, deep and satisfying kiss. Then she slipped out of his embrace and headed for the room.

 “I’m getting into my swimsuit so I can give that hot tub a try,” she said.

 Joe followed, his roguish grin sending a pleasant shiver up her spine.

 “Who needs a swimsuit?”

 nhnhnhnhnhnh

 Frank dropped their suitcase in the closet and then went in search of his wife. He found her on the lakeside deck, leaning on the rough-hewn wood of the railing, staring across Lake George.

 The view was amazing. Their cabin was ensconced in a stand of mature evergreens that offered seclusion from the surrounding resort but they were only a couple hundred feet from the water’s edge. There were several dirt paths, the main one leading down to a private dock that stretched out of a tiny cove into the open water of the lake.

 The sun was hanging low in the sky, and the dappled light danced across Nancy’s hair.  He moved behind her silently and wrapped her in his arms.

 “What do you think, sweetheart?”

 She turned and smiled up at him.

 “It’s perfect.”

 The feel of her slim body pressed against his felt at once familiar and exciting as they wrapped together, savoring the solitude of the moment. It was the first time in months that Frank could remember truly relaxing and reveling in the presence of the woman he loved.

 His stomach picked that moment to issue a loud, insistent rumble. Nancy pulled back slightly, giggling. “Sounds like we should go find something to eat.”

 “I’m fine.” He dipped his head for another kiss, and was startled by another rumble, but this time it wasn’t his stomach.

 “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry,” she said. “Should we try to find Joe and Vanessa, or enjoy a romantic dinner on our own?”

 “We’ll find Joe and Van in the morning,” Frank said. “The Boathouse isn’t far from our cabin, and has dining right on the lake. What do you think?”

 “Sounds good to me,” she said, moving into the cabin. “The sooner we eat, the sooner we can come back here and start our honeymoon, officially.”

 Frank grinned as he followed her. “That sounds like a promise.”

 Inside, Nancy flopped the suitcase onto the bed and opened it. “I think I’m going to change out of these rumpled traveling clothes.”

 He had stopped just inside the bedroom and watched as she lifted a large envelope off the top of the clothes.

 “Frank, what’s this?” she held it up for him to see.

 “It’s for you… from Joe. He was going to wait until the end of the week to give it to you, but I thought you might want it earlier, rather than later.”

 “What is it?” Nancy asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.

 Frank pushed the suitcase back and sat down next to her. “Open it and find out.”

 Flipping the envelope over, Nancy pulled out the flap, which had just been tucked in rather than sealed. Inside, she found a file with a business card paper-clipped to the front.

 “It’s Dan’s business card,” she said curiously, and then flipped it over. “Who is Sean Flannery?”

 “He’s the Ithaca detective that investigated your uncle’s kidnapping.”

 Frank smiled at the spark of excitement that entered her beautiful, blue eyes. “Really?”

 “What do you think about taking a road trip up to CranberryLake sometime this week?” he asked.

 Nancy threw her arms around him. “Thank you so much, Frank!”

 He accepted the embrace happily, but said, “Don’t thank me, thank Joe. He said he couldn’t afford anything like a house for you, but he figured you’d appreciate this as a wedding gift just as much.”

 “He can be a real sweetie when he wants to be,” she said. “So can you. You’re sure you don’t mind doing this when we’re supposed to be on our honeymoon? I mean, this has waited thirty some years, another week or so isn’t going to make much difference.”

 “Sweetheart, it wouldn’t be our honeymoon if we didn’t have a mystery to sink our teeth into. Besides, finding your uncle is going to take quite a bit of time. The sooner we start, the sooner you’ll get to meet him.”

 “A honeymoon and a mystery with my amazing husband.” Her smile was soft and affectionate as she lifted a hand to stroke his cheek. “How did I get so lucky?”

 “I ask myself that at least a dozen times a day,” he said.

 She giggled, and then stood and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, let’s go. I’m starving.”

 “I thought you wanted to change.”

 She looked down at her shorts and tank top. “Do you think I should?”

 He shook his head. “You look beautiful just like you are.”

 Lacing his fingers into Nancy’s, Frank led her outside, where the lengthening rays of the sun’s fading light afforded intermittent illumination of the shaded path they walked. As the sun dipped below the horizon, they were both amused by the fact that, unlike their wedding night, neither of them had thought to bring a penlight.

 It wasn’t far, but they ended up picking their way, particularly in the shadowy places, where roots and uneven ground caused them to periodically stumble. But each time, they caught one another, laughing as they righted themselves and continued on their way.

 Frank smiled as it occurred to him that it was an apt analogy of the life that he and Nancy would spend together.

 THE END


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